Report: Apple will soon start replacing batteries on iPad Mini 6 instead of replacing whole iPads

[AlTech]

Summary

For those not familiar with Apple products (and possibly even for those that are) this may sound quite strange, but Apple doesn't replace batteries in iPads and doesn't replace screens in iPads.

 

Their solution to this problem for iPads? Just give customers a replacement iPad.

Yes, you read that right. Got a scratch on your iPad screen? Need a new battery for your iPad? Apple will take your old iPad and give you a replacement iPad, though it'll probably be a used iPad and not a brand new one.

 

Apple seems to have changed their mind and reportedly will soon offer actual battery replacements for the iPad Mini 6 instead of replacing the whole iPad.

 

Quotes

Quote

A report at MacRumors claims that Apple is issuing a new policy for the iPad mini 6 (i.e., the 2021 iPad mini), allowing repair centers (where devices are shipped for more in-depth service) to replace just the battery, rather than provide a Whole Unit Replacement (WUR) from existing or refurbished stock. MacRumors states that "other iPads may follow in the coming weeks and months," without specifics.

 

Quote

Replacing the battery on an iPad requires removing the screen, and that's tricky on almost all of them. Apple's proprietary repair tools, sized to each device, may be easier to use than using hand tools at home. But there's an unavoidable physics issue of having to apply strong suction or prying force to a long, wide, and thin display. The sixth-generation mini iPad, being the smallest of them, likely represents a device with the highest success rate of screen removal.

 

My thoughts

This is good news and will hopefully have less of an environmental impact than just giving customers a replacement iPad, even though replacement iPads are probably used. If this goes well for Apple then they should also try to do this with older iPad Mini models and other iPads as well.

 

Sources

https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2022/09/apple-no-longer-replacing-entire-ipad-mini-6-just-to-swap-the-battery/

[Arika]

About fucking time

[Dracarris]

Well what do you think they did until now with the old ipads? Throw them away? They simply refurbished them and fed them back into the cycle you just described.

[AlTech]

25 minutes ago, Dracarris said:

Well what do you think they did until now with the old ipads? Throw them away? They simply refurbished them and fed them back into the cycle you just described.

Possibly but that doesn't mean the current system is without drawbacks:

• Customers lose their data if it isn't backed up prior to going to the genius bar.
• Apple has to send the iPads to a special repair centre which means transporting the iPads and thus more carbon emissions.
• This is assuming Apple keeps all the units customers need repaired. Some of them probably are scrapped and used for parts depending on their condition.
• In some countries this may be a violation of the law. I think in Norway or Sweden some people sued Apple because where they were doing this it was illegal.

I am not a lawyer. This is not legal advice.

[yolosnail]

As a customer, I'd probably prefer the current option of just getting a replacement, even if it is a refurbished unit. 

If it was a choice of being in and out in 10 minutes with a replacement, or having to wait an hour or 2 for the repair, I'd choose the first option any day of the week!

[BlueChinchillaEatingDorito]

26 minutes ago, yolosnail said:

As a customer, I'd probably prefer the current option of just getting a replacement, even if it is a refurbished unit. 

If it was a choice of being in and out in 10 minutes with a replacement, or having to wait an hour or 2 for the repair, I'd choose the first option any day of the week!

Isn't that how most company's handle RMAs nowadays? Like I remember putting in a ticket with Logitech because the volume wheel on my G610 (common issue) goes not track correctly and they were going to just going to swap out the keyboard. Had to turn it down since they could only swap out with one with Red switches when mine had Browns. No option for a repair, only replacement.  

[TrigrH]

i'm sure they will wipe the data anyway, they gotta be consistent 

[hishnash]

7 hours ago, AluminiumTech said:

This is good news and will hopefully have less of an environmental impact than just giving customers a replacement iPad, even though replacement iPads are probably used.

Yep when apple replaces a device you do not get a new device what you get is someone else's device that they replaced and fixed. 

They do not throw these devices away the instead send them to a repair centre were they can do the repair more cheaply. Apples main limitation on in store repair is space. Apple have chosen to rent some one the most expensive retail locations in the world and thus even a small back room can be costled in the $1k/hour or more in rent during opening hours so for many repairs it works out much more economic to just replace the device with a refurbished device and send the damage device off the to refurbish centre were ti can be fixed up and shipped out to shops for them to issue to the next customer.  

[Dracarris]

5 hours ago, hishnash said:

Yep when apple replaces a device you do not get a new device what you get is someone else's device that they replaced and fixed. 

From my personal experience the refurbished devices were basically equivalent to a new device. They probably replace the housing and the battery (plus in some cases the screen) and do a full factory reset.

[Senzelian]

9 hours ago, AluminiumTech said:

Apple has to send the iPads to a special repair centre which means transporting the iPads and thus more carbon emissions.

If they needed to do that previously, they would still need to do that.

 

35 minutes ago, Dracarris said:

From my personal experience the refurbished devices were basically equivalent to a new device.

You'd hope so, but... :s 

 

 

[Dracarris]

2 hours ago, Senzelian said:

You'd hope so, but... :s 

hmm fair enough I was thinking about iphones and ipads only. I don't think they do any refurbishing to PCBs for those due to the sheer density and level of integration there. Watch Jessa Jones videos if you don't get what I am talking about.

[Donut417]

12 hours ago, yolosnail said:

f it was a choice of being in and out in 10 minutes with a replacement, or having to wait an hour or 2 for the repair, I'd choose the first option any day of the week!

Assuming you live near an Apple Store. If you dont either way your mailing it back to Apple.  And it could take a week or more to get it back. I feel they should offer an option though, for those who dont want a new device. 

[AlTech]

4 hours ago, Senzelian said:

If they needed to do that previously, they would still need to do that.

Not necessarily, if they're satisfied that the genius bar can do it given proper tools then its possible the genius bar could do it in the future.

4 hours ago, Senzelian said:

You'd hope so, but... :s 

 

 

 

[Senzelian]

45 minutes ago, AluminiumTech said:

Not necessarily, if they're satisfied that the genius bar can do it given proper tools then its possible the genius bar could do it in the future.

Then the genius bar could've done it before too.

[WhitetailAni]

5 hours ago, Dracarris said:

From my personal experience the refurbished devices were basically equivalent to a new device. They probably replace the housing and the battery (plus in some cases the screen) and do a full factory reset.

They don't replace the housing, replacing the housing is a LOT of work - you have to remove every single part. They swap the battery, maybe the screen, and that's it.

[Dracarris]

3 hours ago, FakeKGB said:

They don't replace the housing, replacing the housing is a LOT of work - you have to remove every single part. They swap the battery, maybe the screen, and that's it.

Well then all the previous owners of my refurbished devices had absolutely immaculate housings  Or they have some other exterior method like polishing to make the devices appear as new.