All articles tagged with #battery replacement
Apple raises the out-of-warranty battery replacement fee for the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max to $129 in the U.S., up from $119 for the iPhone 16 Pro/17 Pro; if you have AppleCare+, battery replacement remains free if capacity drops below 80%.
Nintendo will stop selling the original Switch 1 in Europe starting mid-February 2027 due to the EU's Right to Repair rules requiring easy battery replacement; sales outside Europe remain unaffected. Nintendo says it will continue to sell Switch outside Europe and has announced new battery-replaceable designs for Switch 2 and its accessories to roll out through 2026 into early 2027. The company had previously raised prices on some older Switch models in the US last year.
Nikkei reports Nintendo is prepping a Switch 2 version for the EU with a user-replaceable battery (and redesigned Joy‑Con batteries) to comply with the EU’s 2027 right-to-repair rules. No launch date or regional plans are confirmed, and Nintendo hasn’t commented yet; the EU policy requires changes by 2027, with potential implications for other regions if similar laws spread.
A small subset of 2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5 vehicles may experience a charging issue due to a voltage differential between battery cells, leading to the need for battery replacement. This issue is linked to manufacturing defects or BMS failures, but most EV batteries last well beyond 100,000 miles and are covered by an 8-year warranty, making such failures rare and manageable.
A teardown of Meta's Ray-Ban Display smart glasses reveals they are extremely difficult to repair due to sophisticated lens technology and glued components, making repairs or lens replacements impractical and costly, with most repairs requiring replacing the entire device.
Apple's latest M5 MacBook Pro features a minor improvement in battery repairability, allowing battery replacement without removing the trackpad, but the process remains complex and costly, with a repairability score of 4 out of 10.
Researchers at University College London have developed high-efficiency perovskite solar cells capable of harvesting indoor light to power small devices, potentially eliminating the need for batteries in many electronics. These cells boast a record conversion rate of 37.6% and are produced using simple, printable methods from abundant materials, paving the way for more sustainable and cost-effective energy solutions.
To extend your phone's lifespan, keep it updated with the latest software, use protective cases and screen protectors, replace the battery when needed, declutter apps and photos, and regularly clean ports and components. These simple steps not only save money but also benefit the environment by reducing electronic waste.
Google will release a mandatory Android 16 update on July 8 for Pixel 6A devices to address battery overheating issues, particularly for impacted phones that may catch fire. The update will reduce battery capacity after 400 charging cycles and notify users at 375 cycles, with affected users eligible for free battery replacements. The update may also cause reduced charging performance and changes to battery indicators.
Google is rolling out a mandatory software update for the Pixel 6a starting July 8 to address battery overheating issues, with a focus on impacted devices that may experience reduced battery life after 400 charge cycles. The update aims to prevent potential battery failures and fires, and Google is offering battery replacements or compensation for affected users.
Google is warning Pixel 6a owners about a potential battery overheating issue that could lead to fires, and will soon release a mandatory software update to limit battery capacity and charging speed after 400 charge cycles as a safety measure. Users are advised to replace their batteries or upgrade their devices if they see the warning.
Sammy Hagar's plan to auction his prized 2015 LaFerrari has been put on hold due to the car needing a new battery, which comes with a hefty price tag. Hagar, citing age-related reasons, decided to part ways with the car, and the auction is now scheduled for October 2024. Despite his reluctance to let go, Hagar acknowledges that cars are meant to be driven and enjoyed by others.
Android is developing battery health settings that will estimate the remaining capacity of a phone's battery and indicate whether it has been replaced. The new settings will provide information such as the battery's manufacture date, cycle count, charging policy, and state of health, which is expressed as a percentage relative to the battery's rated capacity. While the battery health page is not yet live, it is expected to show the estimated percentage of charge the battery can currently hold compared to when it was new. Google is also working on exposing more battery-related information, such as part status and serial number, to the operating system.
The iFixit team has discovered that the M3 iMac features Apple's most easily replaceable battery yet, although it is due to the presence of just one battery within the device. While the iMac's modular design and external power supply were commended, the soldered memory and storage make upgrades difficult. Apple's increasing tendency to lock components and make repair challenging has resulted in a downgrade of the repairability score for the iPhone 14, and it remains to be seen how the iMac will fare in this regard.
The Kia EV6 comes with a warranty that covers the powertrain, including the lithium-ion batteries, for 10 years or 100,000 miles. While the exact cost of battery replacement for the EV6 is uncertain, one EV6 driver reported that the current going cost for a new battery pack is $29,000, significantly higher than the $6,000 they were initially told. The high cost is attributed to the focus on producing batteries for new cars rather than selling them for replacements. However, it is expected that as battery production increases and salvaged batteries become available, the cost of replacement batteries will decrease in the future.