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Dead iPad battery will be replaced with another iPad for $99

Summary: Normally when the battery dies on a gadget, the company replaces the battery for some sort of service charge. Not so with the iPad - Apple is planning on giving you another tablet in its place for $99.

Rachel King

By for The ToyBox |

Normally when the battery dies on a gadget, the company replaces the battery for some sort of service charge. Not so with the iPad - Apple is planning on giving you another tablet in its place for $99.

According to Apple's FAQ page on the iPad battery, should something go wrong with your iPad that wasn't your fault (meaning you didn't drop it because you're clumsy with shiny objects), Apple will replace it with a "replacement" iPad with factory settings (meaning all of your saved information and settings are gone).

I assume Apple will refurbish the iPads and re-sell them on their online site to maintain that "green" image and not look like they're just tossing dead gadgets by the wayside. But what they might be shipping back to consumers could be a refurbished iPad, as the FAQ page states "replacement," not "new."

But note that with the $6.95 shipping charge, this will all actually cost you $105.95. I wonder if that can be avoided by taking it straight to the Genius Bar and making the exchange there, as I have done in the past with one of my old iPods.

One of the biggest problems I've always experienced with Apple products (particularly first-gen editions) is poor battery life. I don't know how many times I had my old iPod mini replaced, and like the future iPad, I always received a new iPod mini instead of just swapping the battery out. But that's probably one of the reasons there are no iPod minis left on the market anymore.

Topics: iPad, Apple, Hardware, Mobility

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101 comments
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  • Replacement cost

    "I don?t know how many times I had my old iPad mini replaced"
    So this might cost someone a lot of money when it breaks under warranty.
    MoeFugger
    Reply Vote

    • hmm

      [i]So this might cost someone a lot of money when it breaks under warranty. [/i]

      I would certainly hope that's not a cost you would incur under warranty. I was assuming she meant after the warranty expires.
      Badgered
      Reply Vote

  • What's an "iPad mini"?

    Or is that just the new name for the iPod Touch?
    John Zern
    Reply Vote

    • iPod mini - not iPad mini

      You may want to read that again, that is unless
      you're just thinking out load waiting for the
      opportune time to use iPad mini as some negative.

      dave95.
      Reply Vote

      • She updated her post to correct the error

        the original blog read:

        [i]One of the biggest problems I?ve always experienced with Apple products (particularly first-gen editions) is poor battery life. I don?t know how many times I had my old iPad mini replaced, and like the future iPad, I always received a new iPad mini instead of just swapping the battery out. But that?s probably one of the reasons there are no iPad minis left on the market anymore.[/i]

        I guess it was just "iPad" on the mind? :)
        John Zern
        Reply Vote

        • Trolling, are 'we"?

          Or do you like picking on girls.

          ;)
          still not nice
          Reply Vote

  • Delete

    .
    dave95.
    Reply Vote

  • Is Apple affraid of Replacable batteries...

    Becuase none of their products have them anymore. I realize that the "ultimate design & look" may be slightly compromized by a removable battery, but all my current non Apple products have one & I like it. Let me replace my own battery so I can keep my device with all its settings & loaded content. I am on my 3rd battery on my current mobie phone. Never had to be without it for even minute & it still has all my settings after replacement!
    tgschmidt
    Reply Vote

    • Non-replaceable batteries

      Great source of recurring revenue. Creates jobs for those who replace batteries.

      Provides jobs to the post office or couriers.

      Costs you money, requires work to reload, BUT you are only the customer, why on earth would Apple care?

      People will keep on buying because Apple is the best proprietary vendor out there. M$ could take lessons from them.

      Have to admit Apple does create beautiful products.
      codehopper
      Reply Vote

  • You Can Replace Batteries On Any Apple Device

    You just have to have the courage and technical know-how...I replaced the battery on my IPhone 3G and it worked fine afterward...of course it was already out of warranty, so do at your own risk.
    itanalyst2@...
    Reply Vote

    • Have to have courage & technical know how...

      You are just making all our arguments even more relevent! All you should have to do is take a snap on cover off & pop the battery out, then pop the new one in & snap the cover back on.
      tgschmidt
      Reply Vote

      • Except that Apple knows its customer base...

        Jehovah Jobs knows that his mindless cult following is not capable of replacing those batteries themselves; Hell, they can't think for themselves, are we really supposed to think they can stifle their "ooh's and aah's" from the "beauty and magic" of this thing long enough to change the battery?

        Plus, Jobs has such a great track record with lock-in on this device, why stop at the battery? No, Apple will control that as well.

        But why stop there? Jobs will control the entire hardware by sending you a refurb unit, not the one you originally paid for, hence ending true ownership of the device.

        At this point it's a lease...the company is telling how you can use it, when you can trade it in, and how much it will cost to do so.

        And like I said, Jobs knows the Apple camp, he knows his boys are foolish enough to fall for it.
        SonofaSailor
        Reply Vote

        • Ownership?

          [i]"hence ending true ownership of the device."[/i]

          I honestly think that in Jobs dictionary "ownership" is defined as "belongs to Apple to do with it as it wishes".

          You are right on the money. People don't Own their Apple devices, they are just "allowed" to use them. The only illusion of ownership is the price that people pay.
          rarsa
          Reply Vote

          • Actually like the policy...

            Who knows what causes a battery failure. It could be a faulty power
            management chip. It could be a contacts issue. If I get a new unit I
            could kill multiple birds with one quick stone. If I go spend X amount
            of money on a new batter and I'm not even sure it would be less than
            99 bucks and take the time to change it I could find myself with
            another battery issue might I not? Waisted time, waisted effort,
            waisted money and I still have to get it repaired. Great idea guys!

            By the by if my iPad has a battery issue it can still be powered up with
            an external source and all settings, Apps and data can be restored to
            the new one. Sheeezzzzz.

            Pagan jim
            James Quinn
            Reply Vote

          • Is the iPad compatible with Mac Time Machine...

            Is the iPad compatible with Mac Time Machine or Windows Home Server for backup and restore?

            If so then then a replacement would be easy to get all your files and settings resotred, if not then this product is a waste of money.
            BroGnorik
            Reply Vote

          • I honestly don't know.... but

            that was not what I was thinking. The iPad "IF" having a battery related
            issue would still be able to power up using an external source. So you
            could back it up using ITunes syncing tech and or the Apple store could
            take it out back plug the iPad in and transfer from the old iPad to the
            new. I wonder if someone would make a time machine app for that/ ha
            or the windows alternative. Still even if you are a PC user it is VERY likely
            you will be an ITunes user at least for the iPad and have that
            syncing/backup option available to you.

            Pagan jim
            James Quinn
            Reply Vote

          • Not really needed....

            I am sure you can use Time Machine or Windows
            Home Server if you so choose. But
            seriously it is so brain-dead simple now to
            keep your content, data backed-up. The way
            the iPad work will be just like the iPod
            Touch and iPhone. With each sync to a
            computer, the iPad also backs up data and
            content.

            If you received a new iPad and want to
            recover all the same content, data, saved
            games etc on the new iPad, you simply syncs.
            It will ask you if you want to restore the
            backed-up content, data.... This is such a
            simple process I am amazed that tech savvy
            types are making such a big issue.

            I needed to replace a few iPod Touches I was
            having problems with and with each new one I
            sync, all data, content, games were
            transfered back over to my new iPod Touch.


            dave95.
            Reply Vote

          • Not sure if it compatible with either

            but it IS compatible with iTunes and iTunes keeps a backup of each device synced to it so the iPad's compatibility with Time Machine or Home Server is academic.
            athynz
            Reply Vote

        • Insults do not make good argument.. Repetition does

          not make you right.

          Pagan jim
          James Quinn
          Reply Vote

          • True

            [i]"Insults do not make good argument. Repetition does not make you right."[/i]

            Too true.

            However, it makes trolls easy to identify.
            rahbm
            Reply Vote
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