I replaced my iPhone battery at the Apple store for the first time ever - and learned a valuable lesson

1 hour ago 5
iOS 18 connected  iPhone 14 Pro Max
Maria Diaz/ZDNET

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ZDNET's cardinal takeaways

  • The Apple Store tin regenerate iPhone batteries, with appointments managed done your Settings app. 
  • My iPhone 14 Pro artillery went from 72% capableness backmost to 100%.
  • Check your artillery wellness via Settings > Battery > Battery Health & Charging.

As a longtime iPhone user, it's lone a substance of clip earlier my once-shiny-and-new iPhone feels similar a useless puck that has to beryllium tethered to a partition outlet oregon a wireless charger 24/7/365. For my iPhone 14 Pro, it took astir 3 years.

I got my 14 Pro successful January 2023, and I was thrilled. It was speedy and zippy, and it felt similar it could clasp a complaint for days. After respective years of accordant use, my telephone wouldn't clasp a complaint for much than a fewer hours, and I noticed a important summation successful however rapidly my artillery drained erstwhile it passed 60%. 

Also: iPhone charging slowly? 6 speedy fixes to effort earlier blaming your battery

My once-zippy smartphone was present requiring an entourage of batteries wherever I went, and it was becoming cumbersome. But it wasn't until I wrote an iPhone artillery tips nonfiction that I recognized however atrocious my artillery truly was. 

Apple's artillery wellness analyzer indicated that my artillery was lone charging to astir 72%, meaning I was ne'er getting a afloat complaint oregon the maximum capacity, adjacent erstwhile I thought I was. My severely degraded artillery made my iPhone consciousness similar a load to transportation around, and I was already readying to upgrade to the iPhone 18 bid this coming September, specifically to get a amended battery. 

Turns retired I won't beryllium needing to, due to the fact that I brought my iPhone 14 Pro to the doctor, and Apple made it arsenic bully arsenic new. 

The diagnosis

Your iPhone artillery volition virtually archer you it's cooked. Navigate to Settings > Battery > Battery Health & Charging to cheque your battery's wellness and spot Apple's recommendations. In my case, here's what my surface looked similar erstwhile I checked the artillery connected my iPhone 14 Pro successful April 2026. 

degraded-iphone-battery
Screenshot by Kayla Solino/ZDNET

Apple called to accidental my artillery is importantly degraded and provided steps to docket a artillery replacement appointment. At first, I didn't listen. After a fewer weeks, it became evident that this junky artillery was nary longer practical, and it would beryllium a PIA connected my upcoming September travel to Italy if I didn't get it fixed. 

Since I was unsure astir updating my telephone successful the adjacent year, I decided to conscionable wage the wealth and person my artillery restored to 100%. 

Also: I utilized the 'Plus Five' regularisation to hole my iPhone's dilatory wireless charging - here's however it works

When I yet decided to regenerate my artillery successful June,  I clicked "Find Your Service Options" and was capable to docket an assignment astatine my section Apple store wrong days. Apple besides provides a outgo estimation for your artillery replacement, circumstantial to your iPhone exemplary and immoderate work sum you whitethorn have. For my iPhone 14 Pro, the estimation was $99. 

The check-up

Apple Park Visitor Center
Jason Hiner/ZDNET

When I got to the Apple store connected the time of my appointment, I checked successful with a squad member, who had maine hold a fewer minutes until they were acceptable for me. Then I was asked to crook disconnected Bluetooth and determination services and to login successful with my Apple ID. Apple's squad ran a fewer diagnostic tests of their ain to corroborate that my artillery was, successful fact, a portion of doo doo (it was) and to besides measure the wellness of my phone's different components. 

After a fewer minutes, I was notified that my telephone was successful large information (minus the battery) and that they could regenerate the artillery the aforesaid day. I swiftly handed my iPhone implicit to my section Apple store and spent the adjacent 2 hours buying and moving errands. 

Also: Every iPhone exemplary that supports the iOS 27 update (and which older ones don't)

It is precise important that, if you take to regenerate your battery, you cognize your Apple ID and password. You volition besides request to cognize your iPhone's passcode. 

The pick-up 

Before I left, Apple provided an estimated pickup clip for my phone, and I returned astir 15 minutes aft that time. My telephone was waiting for me, truthful the full replacement took little than 2 hours. Of course, this varies by location, clip of day, and time of the week, but I was impressed by the ratio of the full process. 

Also: How to download the iOS 27 developer beta (and which iPhone models enactment it)

Upon pickup, I was prompted to log backmost into my iPhone utilizing my Apple ID, shown my caller artillery health, and asked to implicit payment. My iPhone 14 Pro was (on paper) arsenic bully arsenic new. My artillery wellness was astatine highest performance, with a 100% maximum capableness present reflected successful my results. 

battery-health-iphone
Screenshot by Kayla Solino/ZDNET

The outgo to regenerate my artillery was $99, and aft tax, my full was $105.94. I've astir apt spent much connected MagSafe batteries and different charging accessories successful the past twelvemonth trying to woody with the degraded artillery than it would person outgo maine to conscionable remedy the full problem. 

The outcome 

I was thoroughly impressed with the full process, from diagnosing it connected my ain iPhone to a speedy replacement astatine the store. I felt that $99 was tenable for a artillery replacement, particularly if I'm readying to support my telephone for adjacent 3-6 months longer. It breaks down to astir $1 per time if I lone clasp connected to my telephone done September, erstwhile we expect Apple releasing caller models, and adjacent little if I determine to support it longer. 

It's truly a win-win. Since fixing my artillery has fixed my biggest contented with my iPhone, and the remainder of my instrumentality is successful large moving condition, possibly I'll clasp onto my 14 Pro until it needs different artillery replacement. 

Also: I ne'er usage a caller iPhone until I alteration these settings - wherefore they're specified a large deal

Sometimes the solution isn't new, but alternatively fixing what already works for us, and this affordable hole conscionable saved maine implicit $1,000 connected a caller iPhone. Since fixing my battery, I've seen a immense betterment successful my phone's quality to clasp a complaint and a alteration successful the request to transportation a portable powerfulness enactment everyplace I go. 

Plus, Apple claims that iOS 27 brings wide velocity and show improvements to iPhones, and respective older models enactment it, truthful if you're toying with upgrading your device, possibly effort giving it a check-up first. Your iPhone is astir apt inactive kicking; it conscionable needs immoderate TLC. There are besides ways to bash this yourself for adjacent little done the likes of iFixit oregon akin alternatives, but I was blessed to wage for a nonrecreational to instrumentality it disconnected my plate. 

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