IPhone 16 Pro Raises Price of Battery Replacements

Apple has announced an increase in its out-of-warranty battery replacement fee for its latest flagship devices, the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max. The new fee marks a 20 percent increase compared to the previous iPhone 15 Pro models.

The fee for replacing an out-of-warranty battery is set at $119 in the United States, which is a big jump from the $99 fee for the previous generation iPhone 15 Pro models. The higher cost applies specifically to the premium Pro models, while the standard iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus will keep the $99 battery replacement fee. This change was noticed on Apple's official iPhone repair and service page.

Apple

This price increase could be due to factors like the larger batteries and internal design changes for the iPhone 16 Pro models, which Apple claims contribute to better heat dissipation and performance. There have been rumors about the use of a metal enclosure for some iPhone 16 batteries, which might also contribute to the higher replacement cost.

Replacing a battery in a modern smartphone generally expensive, and Apple has increased the price before. The previous hike occurred with the iPhone 14 series, where the fee went up by $20 on older models.

While the reasons behind these increases likely won't be commented on by Apple, there are other reasons besides the hardware. For example, Apple may be strategically encouraging users to opt for AppleCare+ coverage. For customers with AppleCare+, the battery replacement remains free as long as the battery's health is below 80 percent of its original capacity. However, the increased fee adds to the cost of owning an iPhone 16 Pro for those without the extended warranty.

The price increase has come right before the launch of the iPhone 16 lineup. Pre-orders are already open, and the official release is scheduled for Friday. So those who want to upgrade or buy the iPhone 16 Pro need to keep this in mind.

Source: Apple via MacRumors