Apple to Replace Faulty Batteries in iPhone 6s Devices -- Update
November 21 2016 - 2:08PM
Dow Jones News
By Tripp Mickle and Eva Dou
Apple Inc. said it would provide consumers world-wide with a
free battery replacement for iPhone 6s devices that unexpectedly
shut down.
The announcement Sunday came less than a week after a Chinese
consumer-protection group said it received reports of iPhone 6s
devices spontaneously shutting down though half their battery life
remained. It is the second time in the past three years the company
has offered a battery-replacement program for iPhones.
The replacement plan comes two months after Samsung Electronics
Co. moved to replace millions of its Galaxy Note 7 phone because of
battery fires.
Unlike Samsung, Apple said the iPhone 6s battery issue isn't a
safety matter and only affects a limited number of iPhone 6s
devices manufactured in September and October 2015. Concerned
consumers must contact Apple online, visit an Apple store or
authorized service provider to learn whether a specific device is
eligible for a fix -- wireless carriers aren't participating.
Apple's announcement left a number of questions unanswered,
including when Apple learned of the problem and why Apple thinks
the shutdowns are related to the battery. Apple also didn't specify
how it concluded only phones made in those two months are affected
and whether those phones used a different battery, or battery
supplier, than other phones.
For at least a year, consumers have reported iPhone 6s devices
were powering off and not restarting until after they had been
plugged in, according to Apple support forums.
Keat Cross, an accountant in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., said his
iPhone 6s began having issues in September 2016 when it powered off
despite having 28% battery power remaining. He took it to an Apple
store and was told the problem likely stemmed from using an
unauthorized battery charger. When it happened again, Apple
replaced the phone with a refurbished iPhone 6s, he said.
"It won't stop me from getting another iPhone, but it's too bad
they're so secretive with issues," Mr. Cross said, adding he
thought the company should provide him with a new iPhone 6s rather
than a refurbished one. "For a company with so many loyal
customers, they need to be sure they're upfront with customers and
make sure they get what they pay for."
Apple announced the battery-replacement program just days after
announcing a separate repair program for iPhone 6 Plus devices. The
company last week said it would repair iPhone 6 Plus devices with
displays that flickered or had touch-screen issues for $149
provided the screen wasn't cracked or broken. The company said the
iPhone 6 Plus issues were occurring in phones that had been dropped
multiple times on a hard surface.
Analyst Jan Dawson of Jackdaw Research downplayed the iPhone
issues, saying the phones were made over a year ago, and Apple
already has moved onto a new generation, the iPhone 7, which hasn't
had similar issues. The timing of the iPhone 6s battery-replacement
program -- on the heels of the Chinese consumer-protection group
raising concerns about it--"probably isn't coincidental," he
said.
China is critical to Apple's future. The company is investing
heavily there, though sales are sliding as competition ramps up
from homegrown rivals. Revenue in Greater China, which includes
Hong Kong and Taiwan, fell 17% in the fiscal year ended Sept. 24
after growing 84% the prior year.
In 2013 and 2014, Apple made changes after being accused by
state-run China Central Television of skirting warranties on
iPhones and tracking user locations. China sometimes uses state-run
media and semiofficial sites to signal permissible, and
impermissible, behavior to foreign companies.
The company last offered a battery-replacement program in 2014
for iPhone 5 devices that were experiencing a shorter battery
life.
Write to Tripp Mickle at Tripp.Mickle@wsj.com and Eva Dou at
eva.dou@wsj.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
November 21, 2016 13:53 ET (18:53 GMT)
Copyright (c) 2016 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
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