While it looked like Apple would replace iPhone 6 Plus batteries regardless of whether or not the device failed an Apple Store diagnostic test, it appears power sources for that specific device are in short supply.
According to a new report from MacRumors, Apple won’t have batteries in stock for the 2014 iPhone 6 Plus until late March to early April. Wait times for Apple’s $35 CAD battery replacement have fluctuated significantly depending on demand, but this new leaked document sheds light on what the situation looks like for specific versions of the iPhone.
Apple initially launched the offer in December, with the company stating that new batteries would be available in late January.
However, the internal document obtained by MacRumors suggests customers will have to wait “approximately two weeks” for an iPhone 6 or iPhone 6s Plus battery replacement, while iPhone 6 Plus owners will have to wait until until late March to early April. Replacement batteries for the iPhone 6s, iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus and iPhone SE are “available without extended delays,” according to the document.
Additionally, MacRumors notes the document says battery delivery dates could vary between regions, though it doesn’t specifically mention Canada as an outlier compared to the U.S.
Apple launched its $35 battery replacement program last December following reports of benchmarks that revealed significant processor slowdown in devices with older batteries. The company says it throttled these devices in order to compensate for degrading performance in old batteries, resulting in iPhones randomly shutting off, an issue many older Android devices often suffer from as well.
While many mainstream outlets focused on the fact that Apple is slowing down old iPhones, the real story stems from the company not informing users that they were throttling devices in the first place.
Moreover, it should be noted that while the delay is unfortunate, Apple has reduced the price of battery replacements until December 2018.
