If you’ve put off replacing your obsolete iPhone battery, now may be the time to take action or face higher charges.
According to its website, Apple is increasing the battery replacement price by £20 for all phones except the iPhone 14 from March.
Currently, prices range from £49 for the iPhone 6, 7, 8 and SE to £105 for the iPhone 14 series. Models including the iPhone X, 11, 12 and 13 cost £69.
However, you can get it cheaper using an approved or third-party repair provider. From Apple Stores to Selfridges, not a few places offer to replace your old battery with a brand new one.
To help you get the best deal, we’ve rounded up some of the best iPhone repair providers prices on the market.
When should you replace your iPhone battery?
You should check your battery health to see how badly it has deteriorated and if it needs a complete replacement.
To do this, go to settings on your iPhone, scroll down and select “battery”, then tap “battery health and charging”. Here you will see the “maximum capacity” of your battery displayed as a percentage.
Apple says that a normal battery should retain up to 80% of its original capacity over 500 full charge cycles when operated under normal conditions. When your battery capacity drops below 80%, Apple will show you a message suggesting you replace the battery.
How do you get your iPhone battery replaced by Apple?
If you want your iPhone battery replaced directly by Apple, simply go to the battery service page on the company’s website. Here you can get an estimate for your device and take it to an Apple Store or authorized repair provider (more on what this means below) or send it for repair within six to 10 days. At the time of writing this article, there were appointments available for the same day.
Apple’s battery replacement prices apply to any iPhone with a broken battery, whether under warranty or not.
A warranty covers only the cost of a defective battery that needs to be replaced. On the other hand, Apple Care+ customers can get a new one for free when the battery capacity drops below 80%.
Are third-party Apple repair providers reliable?
For most people looking to replace their iPhone battery, there are two options: through an Apple authorized service provider (including Apple itself and its approved partners) or through a third-party repair service. The latter contains the myriad of telephone repair shops and stalls you may have encountered on London’s main streets.
Apple says certified vendors offer the same parts, professionalism, and repair quality as it does. That is, they may be more reliable than third-party alternatives, which tend to be cheaper.
Apple lists 19 authorized iPhone repair providers located in Greater London on their website, including eight of their own Apple Stores. Others include:
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Choose London in the basement at Selfridges and Wimbledon (price: £49-£105)
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EE stores in Oxford Street and Whitechapel (£70 for iPhone 11/12, £150 for iPhone SE 2020, in-store prices on other models)
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iStore on The Strand (£49-£105)
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Honeylight PCs at Pimlico (£59-£79 for iPhone 6-12 series)
Other iPhone battery replacement services
iSmash
With 20 stores in London and 17 in the UK, iSmash is a leading gadget repair provider. The company has a Trustpilot rating of 4.5 after more than 14,000 reviews and claims to have served over 500,000 customers.
Although iPhone 13 and later models do not offer battery replacement, older models tend to require less charge to replace batteries. Prices range from £35 for the iPhone 6, £39 for the iPhone X and £49 for the iPhone 12.
Customers can ship their device or take it to an iSmash store for repair. The company is an authorized Apple independent repair provider, meaning it has access to genuine Apple parts and diagnostics, but also offers “alternative repair options using compatible Apple parts” that it “rigorously tests”.
Timpson
You can associate Timpson with watch repair and key cutting, but you can also pay the store to replace your iPhone battery. Prices range from £20-60 for the iPhone 6-12 series, depending on the model. As with iSmash, you can mail your device or take it to the nearest Timpson store. However, the company does not claim to be an Apple-approved repair provider.
Vehicle Warehouse
The smartphone vendor owned by Curry’s offers iPhone battery replacement but does not specify the cost. Generally, out-of-warranty phone repairs are charged between £30 and £170. Carphone Warehouse, a certified service provider, says all iPhones are sent back to Apple for repair, suggesting you’ll be charged the same amount as at an Apple Store. You can take your phone to one of Carphone Warehouse’s 1,100 stores in the UK for a quote and repair.
How to change Android phone battery?
Of course, it’s not just iPhones that suffer from battery issues. Android phone owners looking to replace their handset’s battery will need to look into the options offered by their manufacturers. The retailers listed above also provide Android phone repairs covering many leading brands.
Both Google and Samsung offer battery replacement directly or through authorized partners. The cost of service is determined by whether the issue is covered by your device’s warranty, and you can get a quote after the handset is inspected. In Samsung’s case, the company offers a courier pickup service, the option of sending an engineer to your home to fix the device, or visiting it at its own and partner stores. Meanwhile, Google lists iSmash and SBE as authorized partners that offer mail and mail services. You can also send your device directly to the company for repair.