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Apple Launches iPhone 6s Repair Program for Faulty Batteries

Unlike the Touch Disease fix, this one won't cost $149.

 & Matthew Humphries Former Senior Editor

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Last week, Apple launched a repair program after acknowledging the iPhone 6 Plus had a touchscreen issue widely dubbed as "Touch Disease." The program was not received well as Apple blames users for the problem rather than concluding there is a design fault on the phone. Because of that, the repair will cost iPhone 6 Plus owners $149. And now we have a second repair program underway, only this one is for the iPhone 6s.

A small batch of iPhone 6s handsets manufactured between September and October 2015 have a battery issue. There's no threat of injury or phone damage, but your 6s may unexpectedly shut down. The battery is at fault and Apple will happily replace it for you for free.

If you have been experiencing the unexpected shut downs, take your iPhone 6s to an Apple retail store or an authorized Apple service provider. The serial number of your phone will be checked to verify it is carrying one of the faulty batteries. If it is, expect a replacement to be fitted to solve the issue.

Before taking your smartphone to be checked, Apple recommends backing up your data to iTunes or iCloud, turning off the "Find my iPhone" feature, and erasing data and settings in Settings > General > Reset > Erase all Content and Settings.

There are two ways this "free repair" could end up costing you money. If your iPhone 6s is experiencing the shut down problem and ends up not being eligible for the repair program, you can probably expect to pay for the fix. Also, if your phone has another issue that interferes with a battery replacement, for example, the screen is cracked, Apple won't replace the battery unless you agree to have that fault repaired as well, which won't be free.

About Our Expert

Matthew Humphries

Matthew Humphries

Former Senior Editor

My Experience

I started working at PCMag in November 2016, covering all areas of technology and video game news. Before that I spent nearly 15 years working at Geek.com as a writer and editor. I also spent the first six years after leaving university as a professional game designer working with Disney, Games Workshop, 20th Century Fox, and Vivendi.

I hold two degrees: a Bachelor's degree in Computer Science and a Master's degree in Games Development. My first book, Make Your Own Pixel Art, is available from all good book shops.

My Areas of Expertise

  • PC components and system building
  • Raspberry Pi
  • Software development
  • Storage technology
  • Video games and gaming hardware

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