Following the fallout over Apple’s admission that it slowed down iPhone CPUs for most of 2017 as a means of making older phones work for longer, Apple said it would allow customers to buy replacement batteries for $29/£25 as opposed to the usual $79/£79.

The catch, though, is that your phone had to pass a diagnostic test at an Apple Store. If your phone’s battery was still at 80% capacity or above, then, sorry, no battery replacement for you!

But in its efforts to get back into customers’ good graces, Apple has apparently done away even with that requirement.

As of now, anyone with an iPhone 6 or newer device should be able to merely ask for a battery replacement and receive one for $29/£25, according to an internal memo that was obtained by iGeneration (and confirmed as authentic by MacRumors).  

Anecdotal evidence also suggests that you may be able to get a refund for the difference if you happened to pay for a battery replacement at the original full price of $79/£79 before the new policy went into effect, but this is likely on a case-by-base basis. We’ve contacted Apple for an official confirmation.

New tools

As part of its reconciliation efforts, Apple also said that it would introduce new tools for iOS in 2018 that would help you keep better track of your iPhone’s battery life. 

Some of that functionality is apparently already active in the system, as Apple can remotely check your battery’s capacity if you don’t want to take the time to run to an Apple Store to check.

To take advantage of the remote test, just contact Apple Support.