[vln2]

It is really disturbing that Apple expects all iPhone users to shell out a hidden fee of $85.95 (79.95 + $6.95 shipping) to replace a battery which WILL need to happen to all of us after 300-600 charges. That will happen probably next year. That did not come up in any great reviews in the hype leading to June 29 blitz.
iPhone media blitz missed battery 'fee' - The Red Tape Chronicles - MSNBC.com

I checked my Usage settings and was surprised to see that the last time the phone was fully charged 3 days ago even though I charge it every night in the dock.
Perhaps we need to rethink the charging strategy.
I am sure Apple will be pressed hard on this and hopefully Apple will be forced to replace batteries which die earlier then within a year of warranty. Then we would be better off to charge it every night.
Microsoft had to extend warranty for its Xbox 360 and is eating over 1 billion of charges of replacing overheating units. It will be interesting to see how this plays out with Apple.

I should have been warned. A day before the release of the iPhone I called Apple to ask how would playlist from iTunes work with my video iPod and new iPhone. They refused to talk to me saying that my video iPod was purchased in March of 2006 even though it was purchased new in September of 2006 from Circuit City. Apple even had to replace that iPod and I sent them copy of my original receipt. It did not matter, they refused any support.
So far my iPhone works fine and I hope it will do that for a long time. I deal with Apple warranty issues at work because our iBooks are breaking constantly. This is not a good omen for the future.

[TimmyDee51]

Yes, this hidden fee will apply to ALL iPhone owners. Apple is just out to screw us over. Maybe I should start crying wolf and call for a class-action.

Errr, wait. The battery in my Treo 600 is still going strong after 2.5 years. It's not technically user replaceable (although the newer Treos have replaceable batteries), but I haven't had to worry about that. And I'll be looking to buy a new phone soon. If I don't get another phone for six months, I'll have used this phone for double the average time that people keep their cell phones in use. And I'll have not even had to think about changing the battery.

[::maroma::]

You should have been warned? You were warned. You weren't paying attention. Sorry, your fault.

[iREZ]

my name is vln. i don't research the products i buy because i like buying things when they're all hyped up. i then notice that theres something unexpected i don't like so i get on my computer and let everybody know that what most people perceive as a minor annoyance is a GIGANTIC problem for me. i don't understand how apple software manipulates batteries to actually give them longer life and even though this is a good thing for the consumer my ignorance keeps me mad even if it is a good thing for me and my iphone. lets get apple to pay for everything that we incur on ourselves, who's with me?

[vln2]

Originally Posted by iREZ 

my name is vln. ... lets get apple to pay for everything that we incur on ourselves, who's with me?

Well then you know what vln stands for.
Apple is supposedly making $200-300 on the cost of each iPhone after its costs. They should set aside $75 for the cost of battery replacement. I think it sounds reasonable.

[Strix]

Originally Posted by vln2 

Well then you know what vln stands for.

Hmmm. French for whine.

[icruise]

Don't be silly. First of all, I've never replaced the battery in any of my cell phones, or any of my iPods. It's not something everyone is going to have to do. Many people will not be heavy enough users to drain the battery within the working life of the iPhone. And it's not like it'll just die after a certain number of charges. Battery life diminishes over time. A user-replaceable battery would probably be better (although it would likely affect the design of the phone), but it's not the huge issue that people are making it out to be, especially because the iPhone gets exceptional battery life.

By the way, I stumbled on this quote from Dvorak back in April. Man, does he look like a jackass now. (OK, even more of a jackass...)

“He says the amateur mistake that they made is not having a removable battery,” Dvorak said. “You run 20 minutes and you’re using up half the battery power. You get 40 minutes total talk time. And the interface fouls up constantly.”

[BRussell]

Two points:

1) Your assertion that everyone will have to do this within a year is an assumption. If battery-replacement rates for the iPhone are similar to what they are for current ipods - i.e., almost non-existent - there's no problem. It may turn out that people need to replace them sooner for iPhones (perhaps because people use their iphones on a daily basis more frequently), but we don't know that right now. 300-600 charges means full recharges, not every time you stick it in the dock. If your assumption was true, that everyone would have to pay an extra $90 within the next year, that would be a problem. I sincerely doubt it is true though.

2) Even if your assumption was true, there are some legitimate trade-offs involved. The cost of replacing a user-replaceable battery on a cellphone isn't free. Let's say it's around $10 for the street price of a new user-replaceable cellphone battery, and let's also say that other non-Apple services offer iPhone battery replacement for, say, $50. That would put the difference at around $40. You also lose the iPhone for a few days. What are the trade-offs for this? Smaller iphone? No extra latches or screws on its body? Longer built-in battery life? Whether these are worth the extra $40 is up to you, but it needs to be viewed as a trade-off rather than an absolute loss.

[icruise]

I think we should also note that if it really does die during the first year, the warranty will cover it. And if you know you're going to be a heavy user, you can get Applecare for cheaper than the battery replacement charge, and it'll replace the battery if it dies during the coverage.

[bcaslis]

The thing I never see anyone mention is that Apple said after those cycles you would have 80% charge left. Everyone acts like the battery is dead after those cycles and that is not what Apple said. Besides in two years, I'll be buying the Apple iPhone nano super!

[Wiskedjak]

Originally Posted by vln2 

It is really disturbing that Apple expects all iPhone users to shell out a hidden fee of $85.95 (79.95 + $6.95 shipping) to replace a battery which WILL need to happen to all of us after 300-600 charges. That will happen probably next year. That did not come up in any great reviews in the hype leading to June 29 blitz.

The charge isn't really all that surprising considering that, unlike the iPod, the iPhone's battery is sautered in place, meaning that it will most likely have to be removed and replaced manually. Either that, or they may just replace the main-board and swap your data, which may actually be cheaper for them than unsautering and resautering the battery ...

[Stogieman]

Unless it's under warranty, why would you take it to the Apple store? You can probably do it yourself for 1/3 the price Apple charges. I've replaced the battery on my iPod mini thanks to places like www.ipodbattery.com_ I'm sure they will have instructions & replacement batteries for the iPhone in the near future.

[icruise]

I don't think there are going to be do-it-yourself kits for the iPhone, because as Wiskedjak points out, the battery is actually soldered in place. The iPod nano is the same way. I don't think there are any kits for the nano. There will almost certainly be third-party solutions where you send off your iPhone and get it replaced, however.

[xMetal]

Is nobody at all reading what Apple actually said about the battery life? Right there, in print on the iPhone battery page, it says:

Charge Cycles - A properly maintained iPhone battery is designed to retain up to 80% of its original capacity after 400 full charge and discharge cycles. You may choose to replace your battery when it no longer holds sufficient charge to meet your needs.

The battery is not going to stop working completely at 400 cycles. It's going to charge to 80% on average. That's still a lot of battery life. Sure, not as good as brand new but 80% is not 0%.

The battery will probably work for a very long time after those 400 cycles.

[::maroma::]

^^ Ding ding ding! We have a winner folks!

The battery "issue" isn't going to be an issue. Just like the iPod battery "issue" that everyone cried about. No one's crying anymore because its not a real issue.

Some people just have to find a way to complain about something.

[amazing]

Down the road, when people's iPhone batteries get to be a problem, you'll find reliable companies offering replacements for far less money than Apple charges. Apple's prices are always at the upper end--which allows ample opportunities for 3rd parties to offer overnight service, etc.

And you'll also find that battery technology will have advanced, so that the replacement batteries will be longer lasting than present day batteries.

And if the iPhone non-replaceable battery was hidden from you, please tell us how this was accomplished?

[vln2]

Originally Posted by ::maroma:: 

The battery "issue" isn't going to be an issue. Just like the iPod battery "issue" that everyone cried about. No one's crying anymore because its not a real issue.
Some people just have to find a way to complain about something.

I know that the battery issue will not affect me because by then I will either sell the current iPhone on ebay to get a new 3G version or give it to my wife who is not using it as much as I do.
I just hate to push this on somebody else. Some people are hoping this toy will last long time.
I would not trust the 80% statement. I have seen weak batteries in phones and laptops. They do not level at 80%, they just do not hold the charge.

[::maroma::]

Originally Posted by vln2 

I know that the battery issue will not affect me because by then I will either sell the current iPhone on ebay to get a new 3G version or give it to my wife who is not using it as much as I do.
I just hate to push this on somebody else. Some people are hoping this toy will last long time.
I would not trust the 80% statement. I have seen weak batteries in phones and laptops. They do not level at 80%, they just do not hold the charge.

Well of course there will be exceptions to that 80% rule. There will always be batteries out there that will either fail for one reason or another, or poop out earlier than they should. That's why Apple instituted the replacement program (same goes for the iPods). Its already clear to me, and many others, that the battery in the iPhone is far far better than any battery any other cell phone has, and even better than the iPod batteries. Why you wouldn't trust what Apple has stated in print, even to go as far as stating that most people will have a different experience than that, is beyond me.

Anyways, if you are wary of recommending this phone to others, then don't do it. Or recommend it with a little side note saying that they may have to pay to have the battery replaced in the future (that is, if they are out of warranty). There really is only a small number of people who will be using this battery replacement program. Those who use it a buttload (and are out of warranty), those that wind up with defective batteries (and are out of warranty), and/or those who end up using this phone for a very long time. But I really believe that vast majority of "normal" users won't ever have to deal with it.

[vln2]

Originally Posted by ::maroma:: 

Why you wouldn't trust what Apple has stated in print, even to go as far as stating that most people will have a different experience than that, is beyond me.

Well, lets just say that the experience of having hundreds of computers made by Apple at work has toughed me a thing or two about Apple warranty and support.
On top of that having 2 personal video iPods which both broke (one within a week, another in 3 months) and had to be replaced by Apple which made the process very difficult and charged me for shipping on one.

Originally Posted by ::maroma:: 

Anyways, if you are wary of recommending this phone to others, then don't do it. Or recommend it with a little side note saying that they may have to pay to have the battery replaced in the future (that is, if they are out of warranty). There really is only a small number of people who will be using this battery replacement program. Those who use it a buttload (and are out of warranty), those that wind up with defective batteries (and are out of warranty), and/or those who end up using this phone for a very long time. But I really believe that vast majority of "normal" users won't ever have to deal with it.

You are not leaving much doubt about your allegiance while forgetting about a reasonable expectation of every (and some less) loyal Apple customer to receive a reliable product without hidden fees. For 6 months we have heard about fabulous features of iPhone, nobody has mentioned that Apple will charge $85 for replacing its battery. Warranty details were not announced. On June 28th while calling Apple to ask about sharing iTunes between iPod and iPhone I asked questions about the warranty. They refused to answer any of them, they refused to answer any of my questions period. So it is fair to say that we can be "little" surprised now.
It is hard to compare battery from iPod to iPhone battery. It is obvious that the phone will be used daily and with all the built-in features rather heavily. I can not say that about my iPod: one sits in my car and the other on my alarm radio.

I am happy with my iPhone, I recommend it to others for features it has and I am not shy about its shortcomings. I really hope that Apple is reading our posts and will make a better upgrade next year.
I do not understand for example why WiFi refuses to work with SSID broadcast turned off and will not save security settings. That is after all a very basic feature but I can live with that and rename my home Access Point to error_0x0438294 startling some teenager for at least few seconds so they would move to easier target like open Linksys or D-Link. I can find those on every street.

[cSurfr]

Saying Apple has a hidden fee of 85.00 to replace the battery is like saying RIM or Motorola have a hidden 60.00 fee to replace the battery. It's a given that batteries will degrade over time. Why are you complaining about Apple? Is it because they are the only company to actually SAY that the battery life will shorten?

If you are so concerned about the battery life, take it back. I have had a 4th gen iPod for what. . . 2 1/2 years now? The battery still lasts a good 6 hours of constant music playback. . . . good enough for me!