Apple launches a battery replacement program for faulty smartphones manufactured between September and October, 2015.
After a series of unfortunate events that forced Samsung to call back countless Galaxy Note 7 units, Apple ran into some problems with its own power supply, as well. Only several days ago, Apple has released a repair program for faulty smartphones affected by a so-called “touch disease”. On top of that, Apple’s yet another new initiative aims to replace a batch of iPhone batteries that cause unexpected shutdowns.
“Apple has determined that a very small number of iPhone 6s devices may unexpectedly shut down”, according to a company representative.
The problem was first brought to public’s attention via Apple’s official website. The California-based company’s officials say that so far only a small number of faulty smartphones have been identified and consequently recalled for maintenance. Moreover, it seems that only iPhone 6S models are equipped with malfunctioning batteries.
However, as opposed to the Korean flagship, this problem does not present a safety risk. In 2016, Samsung released some faulty smartphones with defective batteries that exploded under normal operating conditions. As a result, the South Korean tech giant completed a global recall of all malfunctioning units. However, due to some problems that still persisted in the replacement units, Samsung stopped the production of the faulty smartphones altogether.
In contrast, Apple released a statement informing the public that only a specific batch of iPhone 6S units produced between September and October 2015 contained malfunctioning batteries. Hence, users who experience an unexpected shutdown can take the device to an authorized repair facility or Apple store for further inspection. Once the agents cross-check the unit’s serial numbers against Apple’s database, the battery can be replaced free of charge, if necessary. Also, the program only covers affected units for the first three years after the retail sale.
At the same time, if owners of the faulty smartphones paid money out of their own pocket for a battery replacement, they can contact Apple for a full refund.
The program comes as a response to many users complaints filed through the China Consumers Association last week. More worrying is the fact that seemingly harmless device shutdowns in the iPhone 6S could turn into a permanent one, without prior notice. Apple’s program of replacing faulty smartphone batteries free of charge is available on a worldwide basis. However, the Canadian-based company denies that the malfunctioning batteries have anything to do with the iPhone 6 Plus repair program aimed at the “touch disease” which refers to a screen anomaly.
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