iPhone owners have just weeks left to dodge higher bill – check your settings now

CHECK your iPhone settings sharpish – or you may end up out of pocket.

Apple is planning a price hike for a key service, and you’ve got just a few weeks left to dodge it.

Replacing your iPhone battery at Apple is a cheap and easy way to instantly improve your handset.

It gives you like-new battery life, and can even improve iPhone performance.

But the cost of a battery replacement Apple is about to rise.

From March 1, an iPhone battery swap will cost £20 more in the UK and an extra $20 in the US for millions of handsets.

Replacing an iPhone 13, iPhone 12, iPhone 11 or iPhone X battery will set you back £89 / $89 after March 1.

You can check your iPhone settings to see if it’s worth swapping.

If you’ve had an iPhone for more than two years, that may well be the case.

For those who want a swap, it’s definitely worth trying to beat the March 1 deadline.

Check your iPhone battery

Over time, the performance of your iPhone battery will naturally degrade.

When you buy a new iPhone, it’s considered to have a 100% battery.

And this percentage will reduce as you deplete and recharge the device.

So after 500 charging “cycles” – or about two years – you’d expect to be on around 80%.

That means you’re getting 20% less life out of a full iPhone charge compared to when it was new.

It’s possible to see this number on your iPhone.

Go into Settings > Battery > Battery Health & Charging.

Then look under Maximum Capacity to see what your battery performance percentage is.

This is a measure of battery capacity relative to when it was new,” Apple explains.

“Lower capacity may result in fewer hours of usage between charges.”

If you’re below 80%, you might find it very annoying.

iPhone battery swap explained

Thankfully you don’t need to totally replace your iPhone.

Instead you can simply buy an iPhone battery replacement from Apple.

This means you’ll have “like new” battery life without forking out for a brand new model.

The price of an iPhone battery replacement can vary depending on your model.

The Apple website has a calculator that explains how much you’ll have to pay for each model.

You can find it here.

“Use our ‘Get an Estimate’ tool to review potential costs,” Apple explains.

“These service fees apply if you get service from an Apple Store or if you mail your product directly to Apple.

“We’ll inspect your product when we receive it and confirm the service charges.

“If your iPhone has any damage that impairs the replacement of the battery, such as a cracked screen, that issue will need to be resolved prior to the battery replacement.

“In some cases, there may be a cost associated with the repair.”

Replacing your battery could save you lots of money, and help you avoid upgrading your phone.

Don’t forget: if you have AppleCare+ and your battery capacity dips below 80%, you can claim a battery replacement at no additional cost.

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