Rumor: Apple replaced 11 million batteries in iPhones at a discount last year

Apple is said to have replaced around 11 million batteries in iPhones last year at the lower-than-usual price. Normally, the manufacturer replaces around two million batteries per year. Apple cited the high number of replacements as the reason why new iPhones aren’t selling well.

This means that around nine to ten million extra old iPhones have been fitted with a new battery compared to normal, according to information from Daring Fireball based on a meeting of all Apple employees that took place recently. Apple CEO Tim Cook cited battery replacements as one of the reasons why sales of new iPhones are disappointing. People would refrain from buying a new phone with a new battery.

Apple decided to replace the batteries more cheaply after it received much criticism for a software update that slowed down iPhones as the battery aged. The manufacturer said nothing about this to users. The update was supposed to prevent iPhones from failing at peak loads. Apple has designed its processor and batteries in such a way that the battery can no longer handle the peak load of the processor after aging, especially on smaller iPhones with batteries that have less capacity. Other smartphones have little or no problem with this. The lower price of 29 instead of 89 euros applied throughout the year.

It is unknown whether many of the users who had the battery replaced bought a new iPhone. Globally, the trend among all smartphone users is to last longer with older phones, as new high-end phones tend to be more expensive and don’t justify that price with features that appeal to many users.

Apple has not confirmed Daring Fireball’s figures, but the blogger has been on good terms with the manufacturer for years and is known for his many contacts within the company. Virtually all of his past information was later found to be correct.