• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
TechApple

Getting the Apple iPhone Battery Upgrade Could Take Weeks

By
Jonathan Vanian
Jonathan Vanian
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Jonathan Vanian
Jonathan Vanian
Down Arrow Button Icon
January 4, 2018, 5:02 PM ET

If you want to upgrade your iPhone battery, expect to have to wait for several weeks.

The big delay comes after Apple (AAPL) acknowledged intentionally throttling the performance of some iPhones in order to prevent those smartphones from abruptly turning off because of elderly batteries. In an effort to make nice with angry customers, the company recently dropped the price of replacement batteries for certain iPhone models to $29 from $79.

The affected iPhone models include the iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus, iPhone SE, iPhone 7 and the iPhone 7 Plus. Apple said it would eventually fix the battery problem in recently released iPhone 8 and iPhone X models through an iOS update this year.

When Washington Post columnist Geoffrey Fowler tried to upgrade his iPhone’s battery, he wrote that “thousands of other customers” were already ahead of him, and he would have to join a “weeks-long waiting list.” Fowler added through a post on Twitter that an Apple Genius bar worker predicted that Apple’s “battery stock levels may not be back to normal until summer.”

Fortune contacted Apple for comment and will update this story if it responds.

https://twitter.com/geoffreyfowler/status/948967546182549504

Other Apple iPhone customers eager for the battery upgrades also reported similar stories on Twitter on Thursday.

https://twitter.com/dickweit45/status/948684502469095424

https://twitter.com/chey_cobb/status/948992735943344128

This is the Apple store line in Sacramento for Genius Bar appointments for iPhone battery replacement. Swing and a miss, Apple. pic.twitter.com/I0MjnYPL1a

— Tracie Cone (@Tracie_Cone) January 2, 2018

https://twitter.com/RobertT18542781/status/948992634013433856

https://twitter.com/thebrianung/status/948991003805044736

https://twitter.com/mdsbarry/status/949002406662213632

Made my appointment at an Apple Store a week ago to get a replacement battery for my iPhone. They are out of batteries. O-U-T. OUT. You have to be kidding me. #apple #iphone #customerservice #fail #applestore #estero #fl

— Maribeth Doran (@mdmv) January 4, 2018

The moral of the story is that if you want to get a new iPhone battery, be prepared for a long wait. You’ll have to schedule an appointment at your nearest Apple Genius Bar, visit the store to talk to a representative about the battery problem, and then join a waiting list.

Get Data Sheet, Fortune’s technology newsletter.

Apple says on its website that mailing your iPhone directly to the company for a battery replacement could lead to a waiting time of “5-9 business days” before you get your phone back. However, it’s unclear how many people are mailing their iPhones and whether that could lead to longer waiting times, like is in the case in Apple stores.

 

About the Author
By Jonathan Vanian
LinkedIn iconTwitter icon

Jonathan Vanian is a former Fortune reporter. He covered business technology, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, data privacy, and other topics.

See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Tech

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Leadership
  • Success
  • Tech
  • Asia
  • Europe
  • Environment
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Health
  • Retail
  • Lifestyle
  • Politics
  • Newsletters
  • Magazine
  • Features
  • Commentary
  • Mpw
  • CEO Initiative
  • Conferences
  • Personal Finance
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map

Latest in Tech

Future of WorkColleges and Universities
Top University of Minnesota grads are ‘at least as good, maybe better’ than the best and brightest from Harvard, former Goldman Sachs CEO says
By Jason MaJanuary 10, 2026
22 hours ago
InvestingStock Options
Investor Michael Burry reveals options bet against Oracle
By Carmen Reinicke, Jeran Wittenstein and BloombergJanuary 10, 2026
1 day ago
cappelli
AIHuman resources
AI adoption isn’t an easy way to cut jobs—or easy at all, Wharton professor says: ‘The key thing … is just how much work is involved in doing it’
By Nick LichtenbergJanuary 10, 2026
1 day ago
MagazineNetflix
Netflix’s $82.7 billion rags-to-riches story: How the a DVD-by-mail company swallowed Hollywood
By Natalie JarveyJanuary 10, 2026
1 day ago
Bill Gates speaks onstage at the Bloomberg Philanthropies Global Forum 2025 at The Plaza Hotel on September 24, 2025 in New York City.
AIBill Gates
Bill Gates says AI could be used as a bioterrorism weapon akin to the COVID pandemic if it falls into the wrong hands
By Eleanor PringleJanuary 9, 2026
2 days ago
shapiro
Big TechMedia
Netflix’s competition isn’t sleep anymore. Its battle against YouTube is like fighting an ‘infinite number of monkeys,’ top strategist says
By Nick LichtenbergJanuary 9, 2026
2 days ago

Most Popular

placeholder alt text
Economy
As U.S. debt soars past $38 trillion, the flood of corporate bonds is a growing threat to the Treasury supply
By Jason MaJanuary 10, 2026
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Health
Bill Gates warns the world is going 'backwards' and gives 5-year deadline before we enter a new Dark Age
By Eleanor PringleJanuary 9, 2026
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Economy
Trump may be raising your taxes with his tariffs but he could actually cut inflation with them, too, SF Fed says
By Jake AngeloJanuary 6, 2026
5 days ago
placeholder alt text
C-Suite
Silicon Valley billionaire flies coach out of solidarity: 'If I'm going to ask my employees to do it, I need to do it, too'
By Nick LichtenbergJanuary 9, 2026
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Success
Gen Z are arriving to college unable to even read a sentence—professors warn it could lead to a generation of anxious and lonely graduates
By Preston ForeJanuary 9, 2026
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Economy
Gen Z is rebelling against the economy with ‘disillusionomics,’ tackling near 6-figure debt by turning life into a giant list of income streams
By Jacqueline MunisJanuary 10, 2026
1 day ago

© 2025 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.