Apple has determined that a very small percentage of iPhone 5 devices may suddenly experience shorter battery life or need to be charged more frequently. The affected iPhone 5 devices were sold between September 2012 and January 2013 and fall within a limited serial number range.
If your iPhone 5 is experiencing these symptoms and meets the eligibility requirements noted below, Apple will replace your iPhone battery, free of charge.
Eligibility
If your iPhone is in working order and exhibits the symptoms noted above, use this tool to see if it is eligible for this program.
Replacement process
Once you have confirmed the serial number of your phone qualifies, we will need to run an additional test on your device to further confirm eligibility. You can bring your phone in to one of our Locations to be tested – which we can usually do within a couple of hours.* We will then order the replacement battery and you can take your phone home until we call you to let you know that battery is here. (Usually within a couple of days.) When you come in for the actual battery replace you should expect to leave you phone for up to two hours.
To prepare your iPhone 5 for the battery replacement process, please follow the steps below:
- Back up your data to iTunes or iCloud
- Turn off Find my iPhone
- Erase data and settings in Settings > General > Reset > Erase all Content and Settings
Note: If your iPhone 5 has any damage such as a cracked screen which impairs the replacement of the battery, that issue will need to be resolved prior to the battery replacement. In most cases, there may be a cost associated with the repair.
*Test time may vary between stores.