£64 to replace an iPhone battery!

[3GScottishUser]

Yes thats right it's £64 to have a battery replaced officially via Apple on an iPhone.

They are soaking folks dry!

I just bought a genuine replacement battery for my Samsung Galaxy S from a reliable vendor on Amazon for £7.50 delivered. No problem to install it as it's user changeable. Compatable batteries (which are perhaps just as good according to many reviews on Amazon are about £4).

So taking account of the VAT which is £1.50 and the cost of delivery £0.60, the vendor margin (25%?) £1.35 or thereabouts you are left with £4.05 which includes manufacturing cost, manufacturing profit margin and shipping costs. Bottom line is that the battery is probably coming off the line in China for around £1.

So what is so different about the Apple battery? I'm confident Apple are paying no more than Samsung to have batteries manufactured and the one in the Galaxy S is of a similar spec to the one in the iPhone.

So why the £64 charge? Lets just say it's a £5 battery (generous), then it's £8 shipping back and forth to Apple for replacement and £5 for the time to execute the replacement at a central point (probably a lot less). That is £18 in total plus VAT at 20% (on £64) so around £29.50 leaving a whopping £34.50 which can only be sheer profit and I am positive the figure will be much higher in reality.

Apple charge premium prices for their products but when it comes to accessories and replacement parts they pile on the agony big time.

There is no way anyone can justify a £64 charge to replace a common Chinese manufactured rechargable battery, that's more than a decent ZTE or Huawei clone Blackberry costs (ZTE Orange Rio 2 3G Brand new - delivered with £10 credit = £59.00). So a new 3G phone with lots of bells and whistles with £10 calling credit is £5 less than replacing the battery in an iPhone!

You could not make it up!

[Hands0n]

Oh dear, naughty old Apple. Fancy them trying to make a profit. Tch tch. :)

I would expect the type of people who can afford to buy an Apple iPhone are the same who will lay out £125 for a screen replacement and £64 for a battery should the need arise. If you're going to pay the manufacturer/dealer then you'll pay premium - the same goes for almost anything ie. Cars.

Those with smaller budgets could, alternatively, pay £12.86 and do it themselves in less than 15 minutes (ie. http://www.lingosbox.com/product_info.php?language=en¤cy=GBP&products_id=5072 ).

It really is all a very simple matter of shopping around to suit your budget or convenience. There's a corresponding price for each.

Naughty Apple!

[Wilt]

Is it fair to compare a purchase direct from the manufacturer to a purchase from a random Amazon shop?

[Ben]

It's £55 (+£7.44 shipping if you don't do it in store), if the battery isn't covered by warranty.

A lot, yes. But as the other two have pointed out, there's plenty of grey market ways to get the battery changed in an iPhone for much less.

MobileFun has the standard Samsung battery up at £19.95. Looks like ~£20 is the proper RRP.

I don't think Apple are fleecing anyone. I've never needed a new iPhone battery. 3G works fine, 3GS works fine, 4 works fine, 4S works fine. My Nexus One, on the other hand, well, the battery on that had died completely within a year.

[3GScottishUser]

Is it fair to compare a purchase direct from the manufacturer to a purchase from a random Amazon shop?

Why not?

The manufacturer will be buying in millions of units and will get the lowest possible costs whereas the vendor on Amazon will be buying in 1000s or 10,000s and paying a third party commission to advertise the product.

The question has to be why is the mark up so high on Apple accessories and parts? £64 for a battery replacement is excessive in my opinion but as Hands On has stated there are alternatives although I'm not sure how many would want to deconstruct a £400-700 device to save £50.

BTW I'm not convinced that Apple batteries are any better than those other manufacturers provide, they are sourced from the same suppliers and are in no way exclusive outwith their form factor. There are plenty of posts on the Internet about replacing iPhone batteries!

[hecatae]

so how much do samsung charge for the battery?

3GSU, how much do Nokia charge to replace the battery in a Nokia N8 or Lumia 800?

Both cant be replaced by the user,

[3GScottishUser]

so how much do samsung charge for the battery?

3GSU, how much do Nokia charge to replace the battery in a Nokia N8 or Lumia 800?

Both cant be replaced by the user,

Question 1: I paid £7.99 inc P+P for a genuine Samsung replacement battery on Amazon. It looks identical to the original but who knows it might be a clone.... not bothered though if it performs as well as the original, time will tell. Why would I go to Samsung to buy a battery? Samsung distribute through a wide range of vendors who compete for custom. Apple only provide service direct (at ridiculously inflated prices), no other company has the right to sell or service Apple products officially! That is the key difference!

As for Nokia? I have no idea and no interest in those as I don't own one and there is no chance I will, so if that information is of relevance I suggest posting the comparison for all to consider.

[hecatae]

HTC Radar also has a sealed battery that cant be replaced by the user, will ask them how much they charge to place battery

[Hands0n]

It is really not a "deconstruct" to replace the battery in an iPhone 4/4S. Two screws at the base, slide the back cover up and lift away. Prise the battery off the midplate, disconnect the wires. Reverse the procedure to install the new battery and close the case. Simples.