Submitted by Marshall Walker on
Apple promised to lower battery replacements from $79 to $29 after issuing an apology for slowing down older iPhone models. The iPhone maker originally said the start of the lower-priced battery replacements would begin in late January, but it has since removed that date from its website, and iPhone owners can take advantage of the reduced price starting today.
Apple told tech critic Rene Ritchie that they expected to need more time to be prepared for the influx of replacement requests, but have since decided to offer the lower pricing to customers right away. However, initial supplies of some batteries may be limited.
To qualify for a reduced battery replacement you need an iPhone 6 or later that has reached 500 complete charge cycles. To check if your iPhone has reached the mandatory charge cycles navigate to Settings > Battery to see if it you have a notice that reads "your iPhone may need to be serviced."
If your iPhone meets these requirements you can take it into an Apple retail location today to have the battery replaced for the new $29 service fee. You may want to call ahead to check if your local Apple Store has the battery for your specific device in stock, since supply is limited.
You can learn more about battery replacement and read Apple's official statement here.