[ashvek3141]

Originally Posted by Dr.M

I own an iPhone 12 Pro Max since Feb 2021
Battery life went down a lot
I was at ~850 cycles and 80% battery health and my phone wouldn’t last even 3-4 hours
Most of the times I could see the percentages dropping in real time!

Got the battery changed at an Apple authorised service centre for ₹6,700.

Very pleased with the results-
1. Battery life is as good as I remember it being when it was new. Thoroughly enjoying it.
2. As a surprise the speaker volume has increased and so is the 5G reception.

Many thanks Doctor for sharing this !

I too have a Jan 2021 12 Pro with battery health at 79% with exact same battery / phone characteristics as yours.

I didn’t have very encouraging experience with the battery replacement of my IP 7 a few years ago ; but yours is quite positive with the 12 Pro.

I had decided and infact have been vocal of not going in for the battery replacements of iPhones. But your post makes me think otherwise.

With battery health dropping below 80% , Apple throttles the iPhone performance which are very evidently listed on their website.

No wonder you saw an improvement in the performance of the speakers , connectivity , etc.

Also , the price - 6700/- is quite decent as a a few Apple SC charge upwards of 9k. Idk , how Apple regulates this prices.

[Dr.M]

Originally Posted by ashvek3141

I had decided and infact have been vocal of not going in for the battery replacements of iPhones.

May I ask why do you take such a stance?
Every major manufacturer be it automotive or tech related is adopting planned obsolescence.
I feel replacing a few consumable parts the correct way, goes a long way in keeping an otherwise robust equipment functional for a long time.

I know Apple throttles the device performance bellow 80% but didn’t think the speaker volume and cellular reception would we a part of throttling as these are fundamental to the “cellular” aspect of a cell phone. I mean making calls is the most basic thing I need my phone to do.

Before the battery change I felt the need to upgrade my phone as day to day usage was not enjoyable.
Now there’s no such need. I can easily daily drive this phone for at least another year or two.

Also, repairing a device is better for the environment - so much E-waste is generated these days because of cheap subpar electronics that are mostly designed to be used for a short time and then discarded.

It is because of such shrewd tactics that so many people are advocating for Right to Repair and I genuinely support them.

[car_guy1998]

After using the iPhone 13 Pro for a shade more than 2 years, I have upgraded to the iPhone 15 Pro Max 256GB today here in the US through Apple Online Store.

The main reason for upgrading to Pro Max is the bigger screen as I used iPhones with 6.1 inches screen and below (iPhone 6, iPhone SE, iPhone XS, and iPhone 13 Pro) till date, and bigger battery capacity also played a major role in getting this.

[ashvek3141]

Originally Posted by Dr.M

May I ask why do you take such a stance?
Every major manufacturer be it automotive or tech related is adopting planned obsolescence.
I feel replacing a few consumable parts the correct way, goes a long way in keeping an otherwise robust equipment functional for a long time.

Well , my past experience with iPhone 7 battery replacement wasn’t very satisfactory. The phone did get a speed bump , in the sense the app opening / closing, RAM management , etc. did see some remarkable improvement. But , the main reason for battery replacement didn’t quite meet the expectations. The replaced battery wasn’t providing a significant battery life and the drain pattern saw a marginal improvement at best !

Infact , I’m pleasantly surprised by your comment that the battery life (drain through the day) has reverted to what it was originally. That is quite an improvement if you ask me & that’s exactly how it’s supposed to be.

And ya , this isn’t just my experience ; quite a few BHPians have posted that their iPhones’ battery replacement didn’t yield satisfactory results.

Nonetheless , I’m happy to read your experience which also encourages me to get a battery replacement for my 12 Pro which I was thinking of replacing with the 16 Pro / Pro Max later this year.

Your battery replacement cost too is quite competitive. But like I said , this cost isn’t the same everywhere (even at Authorized Apple service) which is quite surprising.

I have heard quotes upwards of 9k for a battery of 11 Pro and above.

[ashvek3141]

Originally Posted by Dr.M

Got the battery changed at an Apple authorised service centre for ₹6,700

Hello Dr. , could you please confirm where did you get this battery replacement form?

As I mentioned in my earlier posts , the battery replacement costs vary service centre-wise.

I have below quotes for the battery replacement of 12 Pro from service centers in Goa.

1. PCSS Authorized Apple Service- 8800 /-

2. Unicorn Service Centre - 7500/-

I don't understand how there can be such a difference in the rates for 'authorized' Apple service centre !

[nagr22]

Originally Posted by ashvek3141

I don't understand how there can be such a difference in the rates for 'authorized' Apple service centre !

This is called capitalism Imagine if both the service centers had quoted 8800Rs, would you have felt benefitted just because they both are authorized service centers?

[Dr.M]

Originally Posted by ashvek3141

Hello Dr. , could you please confirm where did you get this battery replacement form?

I got mine replaced from Tresor Apple Authorised Service Centre Panchkula-
https://maps.app.goo.gl/8J2oGcvAkKDpvwxr5?g_st=ic


I requested them to show me and verify the replacement battery serial number and they happily obliged. So I know that the battery is genuine as is shown in my settings tab too.


What I didn’t know was that ₹6,700 is not the price of new battery but the price of exchange. I wanted to keep my old battery as a quirk but was informed that Apple doesn’t allow that and when asked for a price they said ₹13,000. But this price I guess was just a random number to make me give up on keeping the old battery. I later learned that Apple indeed doesn’t allow customers to keep the old battery and instead recycles them in the correct way.

But coming back to the point,
IMHO ₹6,700 is a very fair price for a genuine battery replacement from Apple.

[rx100]

Originally Posted by ashvek3141

I don't understand how there can be such a difference in the rates for 'authorized' Apple service centre !

Apple website is also shows the estimated price as 8800.

Originally Posted by Dr.M

IMHO ₹6,700 is a very fair price for a genuine battery replacement from Apple.

Looks like they charged only for the parts, and there is no labor cost. Not sure it would be the same case everywhere.

[ashvek3141]

Originally Posted by Dr.M

I got mine replaced from Tresor Apple Authorised Service Centre Panchkula

IMHO ₹6,700 is a very fair price for a genuine battery replacement from Apple.

Its certainly it for a 12 Pro Max !

Here , their charging 7,500/- for 12 Pro's battery.

Originally Posted by rx100

Apple website is also shows the estimated price as 8800.

Yes , I just happened to check it. Seems like it varies from state-to-state based on the taxes and stuff.

Looks like they charged only for the parts, and there is no labor cost. Not sure it would be the same case everywhere.

Apparently , the labour costs is approx. 1,500/- (in Goa) which is included in the overall battery cost. Not sure how these folks in Panchula have managed to price it so low.

[Fuldagap]

Interesting update, apart from the politics. Would be a watchful coming events as far as Apple is concerned



Link

[NomadSK]

Originally Posted by Fuldagap

Interesting update, apart from the politics. Would be a watchful coming events as far as Apple is concerned

I doubt apple will share the data, as far as I remember they had refused to share the data even with FBI few years back over data privacy when they suspected someone in terror activities. Here we are talking about money, I guess that would always take a backstage.

[ex-innova-guy]

Originally Posted by Fuldagap

Would be a watchful coming events as far as Apple is concerned

Agree with NomadSK. Apple won't bother to share the data. You can read about how Tim Cook denied the FBI access to that particular iPhone here. Later, an Australian company Azimuth Security decrypted the device, and I doubt if the same will follow suit in India too.

[tbppjpr]

Originally Posted by ex-innova-guy

Tim Cook denied the FBI access to that particular iPhone here. Later, an Australian company Azimuth Security decrypted the device

And who knows if that was done by Apple indirectly?

Government and big companies are two sides of the same coin who work for each other. Encryption is illusion in the online world, if data is really encrypted then it should be impossible for anyone to decrypt it. That third party might be a pseudo arrangement set up by Apple and the US government.

If Apple would have done it themselves then it would have shattered the trust of their users which was not good for Apple as well as for the government. Keeping the users from creamy layer stick with one brand makes it easier for the government to trace out whenever they want, thus they would not like to harm the trust of people in Apple.

There have been plenty of cases of data leak in Apple devices and their cloud service in the past, were they merely just accidents? I don't think so. The ecosystem successfully maintains the illusion of trust with the help of media where everything is just advertisement and the real news is kept hidden.

[dragonfire]

Originally Posted by NomadSK

I doubt apple will share the data, as far as I remember they had refused to share the data even with FBI few years back over data privacy when they suspected someone in terror activities. Here we are talking about money, I guess that would always take a backstage.

Apple could get away with it, because it was the FBI and country was the USA. They can challenge the FBI, but not the ED. In a country like India where the govt has the power and will to do anything they want, Apple would crawl on their knees. You see that happening in the EU where Apple gave in to pressure and switched to USB-C and opened up their OS to sideloading apps. Business trumps everything else.

[Fuldagap]

Originally Posted by NomadSK

I doubt apple will share the data, as far as I remember

That is yet to be seen in India. With the current environment anything is possible.

Originally Posted by ex-innova-guy

Agree with NomadSK. Apple won't bother to share the data. You can read about how Tim Cook denied the FBI access to that particular iPhone here. Later, an Australian company Azimuth Security decrypted the device, and I doubt if the same will follow suit in India too.

It was a battle that the govt probably won in getting access to the apple device via a 3rd party's quite expensive solution. Nothing was found on that device though. Here I hope the matter escalates to the Supreme Court and we get to witness the course of events.

Originally Posted by tbppjpr

And who knows if that was done by Apple indirectly?

Government and big companies are two sides of the same coin who work for each other. Encryption is illusion in the online world, if data is really encrypted then it should be impossible for anyone to decrypt it. That third party might be a pseudo arrangement set up by Apple and the US government.

If Apple would have done it themselves then it would have shattered the trust of their users which was not good for Apple as well as for the government. Keeping the users from creamy layer stick with one brand makes it easier for the government to trace out whenever they want, thus they would not like to harm the trust of people in Apple.

There have been plenty of cases of data leak in Apple devices and their cloud service in the past, were they merely just accidents? I don't think so. The ecosystem successfully maintains the illusion of trust with the help of media where everything is just advertisement and the real news is kept hidden.

The govt anyways have data access whatever device it may be or whether it is legally or illegally acquired. Vault 7?

Originally Posted by dragonfire

Apple could get away with it, because it was the FBI and country was the USA. They can challenge the FBI, but not the ED. In a country like India where the govt has the power and will to do anything they want, Apple would crawl on their knees. You see that happening in the EU where Apple gave in to pressure and switched to USB-C and opened up their OS to sideloading apps. Business trumps everything else.

You are right about the current scenario. How it pans out with our judiciary is yet to be seen though.