How To Replace An iPhone 5 Battery Or Get A Battery Case
If youre skipping the upgrade to an iPhone 6 this season, odds are, your iPhone 5 battery is starting to show its age . Of course, you may also be transferring your iPhone 5/5s to a friend or family member and want to ensure they have a great battery experience. What to do?
You have two choices, really:
When To Replace iPhone Battery
The easiest way to know if its time for a battery replacement is when its maximum capacity hits 79% or below and you receive the Your batterys health is significantly degraded message.
However, this comes with a big caveat. If you are planning to trade in your phone with a buyback company like GadgetGone, having a degraded battery can have a pretty big impact on your phones resale value. Even if your iPhone is fully functional with only some scratches and dings, you could receive between $30-$100 less purely because your batterys max is less than 80%.
Our recommendation? Plan on upgrading your phone and selling your old iPhone to us at GadgetGone when your iPhones battery health reaches the low 80s to ensure optimal trade-in value and functioning.
How To Know If Your iPhone Battery Needs To Be Replaced
The best way to know if you need to replace your iPhone battery is by going to Settings > Battery > Battery Health. On this page, you will see a quick overview of your batterys health via its Maximum Capacity and Peak Performance Capability.
Maximum Capacity is a measure of the batterys capacity relative to when it was new. A brand new phone should read 100% and will reduce over time the lower the percentage, the faster your battery will deplete on one charge.
The Peak Performance Capability measure is more of a Good, Not-so-good or Bad scenario. If your phone reads Your battery is currently supporting normal peak performance, you are in the clear your battery is up to par and there is nothing you need to do. On the other hand, if you see This iPhone has experienced an unexpected shutdown Performance management has been applied its a sign that your battery is experiencing some significant wear. That means, Apple has started to slow down or throttle your phone processing speed in an effort to reduce further battery strain. You can disable this throttling feature but if you do, the setting cannot be toggled on again until the device unexpectedly shuts down, so proceed with caution. Finally, there is Your batterys healthy is significantly degraded message which means that your battery severely depleted and you should strongly considering getting it replaced.
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Its Mostly Screws And Connectors
Dont get me wrong: the circuitry and assembly inside an iPhone is no joke, and some repairs can be really difficult. But when it comes to replacing the battery, youll mostly be dealing with screws and connectors, with a little bit of adhesive. Nothing that youll be dealing with is soldered down or permanently connected to anything, so you can put the soldering iron and other heavy-duty tools back in the drawer.
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As for the adhesive, the battery is secured using 3M Command Strip-esque adhesive, which can cause headaches if they break as youre removing them . There is also some adhesive around the edge holding down the display assembly on newer iPhones, but a little applied heat to loosen it up makes the job a bit easier.
Other than that, you just have screws holding down the battery connector cover, as well as the display assembly cover. Once those things are removed, you simply pop off the connectors to the display assembly and the battery.
How To Replace The iPhone 5’s Battery
Probably a familiar sight for iPhone owners.
If you’ve owned your iPhone 5 since its launch last year, chances are its battery is already starting to lose capacity. In other words, from a full charge, it won’t last as long, meaning you have less time to play with away from a power socket.
Microsoft Windows smartphone to an Apple iPhone around six years ago, it was that the battery wasn’t user-replaceable.
At least, you couldn’t just slide off the rear cover and replace the battery, like you can with pretty much any other smartphone made today.
This means that using third party higher capacity batteries or even replacing an old worn-out battery was going to be extremely difficult. There are plenty of reasons why you’d want to as well. Apple currently states that:
A properly maintained iPhone battery is designed to retain up to 80% of its original capacity at 500 full charge and discharge cycles.
For a heavy user like me, this represents around a year and a half of use assuming I charge it most days, which I do. How much it loses after this is anyone’s guess but from my own experience, the degradation process can even speed up. This means after two years, the difference will most definitely be noticeable and may even have become an annoyance.
This is especially true given how most smartphone owners consider current smartphone batteries to be woefully inadequate to start with, and Apple’s Lithium Ion batteries aren’t the only ones to degrade over time – they all do.
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Diy iPhone Battery Replacement: Here’s What Happened When We Tried It
My iPhone 6, running the current iOS 15, needed a new battery so I decided to try replacing it myself. Here’s what you should know before trying it yourself.
I was pleased to find a pristine-looking iPhone 6 on eBay for only £75 . It was a huge savings over a new iPhone and as it still runs the latest iOS 15 I knew it would still be safe to use. But the battery had aged to the point where the software had to artificially throttle the performance to stop it from shutting down. Instead of casting off the phone and getting buyer’s remorse, I decided to buy a replacement battery and tools from iFixit and have a go at replacing the battery myself.
It took a little over an hour, but I was able to safely swap out the battery, and the iPhone 6 was running perfectly again. I’m not giving step-by-step instructions here — head to iFixit and grab a kit if that’s what you’re after — but I do want to describe my experience, including how easy this was to do, and hopefully answer some of the questions you may have if you also need a new battery.
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Note that any maintenance you do on your own devices is entirely at your own risk.
If Youve Got An iPhone 6 Or Laterand It Feels Sluggish
If you are running iOS 11.3 or later, you may be a victim of throttling. You can prove or disprove this by following these steps:
Tap the Settings App, select the Battery option in the list, then select Battery Health . Under Peak Performance Capability, if you see this blurb:
then your phone is being throttled and would benefit from a battery replacement.
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Is It Safe To Replace Your iPhone Battery Yourself
This one isn’t so straightforward to answer. iFixit’s guide gives very detailed instructions on the steps involved, but there were a couple of points that made me nervous. One step involved heating up the back of the phone with a hair dryer in order to loosen the glue holding the old battery in place.
Specifically, it said to heat it to “slightly too warm to touch comfortably,” which I found a little vague. Especially since that section also warned that “overheating the iPhone may ignite the battery.” But how hot is too hot? What signs would I see if it was overheating? I couldn’t find this information, and as such wasn’t sure how close to overheating it I might be.
Shortly after, while trying to pry out the old battery, I accidentally ripped into what looked like the black wrapping around that battery. I was pretty sure that the battery itself wasn’t punctured — there was no smoke or hissing — but I’d have felt a lot more comfortable if I had “emergency” instructions on hand about what to do if the battery did ignite.
Where And How Can You Replace Your iPhone Battery
There are a couple of ways you can go about replacing your battery:
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How To Replace The iPhone 5 Battery
Submitted by Frank Macey on July 7, 2013 – 10:15pm
If your iPhone 5 battery is acting up, it might be covered under warranty. For those who prefer to go it alone, iFixit covers the steps on how to replace the battery yourself. Not only are iPhone 5 batteries available for $10 online, the repair can take as little as 15 minutes if you’re already comfortable working with your iOS hardware.
A few tools are necessary, including an iPhone penalobe screwdriver, Phillips #00 screwdriver, plastic opening tools and a small suction cup. Of course, iFixit sells a Pro Tech Toolkit designed to help the intrepid do-it-yourself fan to open and repair a multitude of modern electronic devices. These items can also be purchased individually to help safely gain access to the insides of your iPhone 5.
Remember, any self-repair will void your Apple warranty and make visiting the Genius Bar for service or AppleCare impossible. When it comes to the actual battery replacement, after removing the two pentalobe screws the front display panel is popped off the chassis using a suction cup and plastic opening tool. A couple of steps later and the old battery can be pried off of the back panel of the iPhone 5 to make room for the new unit.
How To Replace The Battery In An iPhone 4 Or 4s
The only other thing you’ll need is a screwdriver. Some iPhone 4 models have standard Philips 00 screws, so a Philips 00 screwdriver is all you’ll need. If you find your iPhone has five-pointed star screws, you’ll need to buy a ‘Pentalobe’ screwdriver – again, these are cheapest from eBay – to remove them.
1. Turn your phone off by holding the power button for a few seconds until the red slider appears. Slide it to power the phone off.
2. Use your Philips 00 or Pentalobe screwdriver to remove the two screws on the bottom edge of your iPhone. Keep them somewhere safe, as they’re extremely easy to lose.
3. Slide the rear cover upwards by a few millimetres and lift it off. If it’s stuck press the palm of your hand against the entire back panel to get the maximum friction.
4. Remove the single Philips screw which secures the battery connector to the motherboard. If you have a 4S , there are two screws which need to be removed.
5. Use a plastic pry tool to carefully lift the connector up from the top and bottom edges. Note that on the iPhone 4 there’s a black contact clip below the connector which the screw threads through. You can carefully remove this or leave it in place. Take note of how it fits, so you can replace it if it falls out.
7. Before fitting the new battery, make sure the contact clip is properly positioned. The iPhone 4 clip is shown below, and fits in this orientation. Press the battery connector into place, and tighten the screw to secure it.
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Apple Initiates iPhone 5 Battery Replacement Program
Apple has begun an iPhone 5 Battery Replacement Program to replace the batteries of a small percentage of iPhone 5 units that have a faulty battery resulting in a shorter battery life and longer, more frequent charging times.
iPhone 5 devices exhibiting battery issues were sold between September of 2012 and January of 2013 and are eligible for a free battery replacement.
Apple has determined that a very small percentage of iPhone 5 devices may suddenly experience shorter battery life or need to be charged more frequently. The affected iPhone 5 devices were sold between September 2012 and January 2013 and fall within a limited serial number range.
If your iPhone 5 is experiencing these symptoms and meets the eligibility requirements noted below, Apple will replace your iPhone 5 battery, free of charge.
Apple says the issue affects only a “limited serial number range.” iPhone 5 users can input their serial numbers on Apple’s replacement site to find out whether their phones need a new battery. Those who do have a faulty battery can get a replacement through an Apple Authorized Service Provider, an Apple Retail Store, or through Apple Technical support.
How Can I Fix My iPhone Battery Health
Your battery is designed to retain up to 80 per cent of its original capacity at 500 complete charge cycles. If you have not completed the charging locations and still your battery does not provide enough backup then you can try re-calibrating your battery. Let your battery drain to 0% and then charge it to 100%. Once your battery is charged to 100% discharge the battery back to 0%. This will recalibrate the battery. Once you recalibrate the battery, use the phone normally and see if your battery is still draining too fast or taking time to charge. If the charging time has increased or if the battery does not last for long then you have to get your iPhone battery replaced.
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How Can I Test My iPhone 5 Battery
Its easy to tell if it needs replacing: Go to Settings > Battery. Tap on Battery Health. You will see what the maximum capacity of you battery is this is a measure of your battery capacity relative to when the battery was new. Below that is an indication of the batterys Peak Performance Capacity.
How To Replace The Battery In An iPhone 5
Step 1. Turn off your phone by holding down the power button, then sliding the on-screen button to the right.
Step 2. Use your Pentalobe screwdriver to remove the two screws on the bottom edge of your iPhone. Keep all screws somewhere safe, as they’re extremely easy to lose if left loose on your work area.
Step 3. Using the suction cup, apply strong force just above the home button, or to either side of it. You need to open up a small gap so you can begin to pry the screen open. NOTE: if you have an iPhone 5S be extremely careful at this stage. The TouchID cable connects to the bottom half of the phone and is easily damaged if you pull the screen up too far.
Step 4. Using the pry tool, work your way from the bottom to the middle of each side to release the clips holding the screen to the phone.
Step 5: You can replace the battery without disconnecting the screen from the phone, but you’ll have to hold it carefully at 90 degrees throughout. If you do want to remove the screen, use your Philips 00 screwdriver to remove the metal plate securing the screen’s cables to the phone. Then, carefully pry up each connector and remove the screen.
Step 6: Remove the two screws from the metal plate which secures the battery contacts to the motherboard. Each model differs slightly, but they are in the same positions as shown on our iPhone 5 here. The plate remained stuck to the battery connector when we swapped our battery, but it’s easy to pry off.
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How To Replace The iPhone 5s Battery
A bad battery can severely diminish how long you can go on a full charge. If you own an iPhone 5s and either didn’t opt for AppleCare or just prefer doing things on your own in order to save some money, a DIY battery replacement isn’t terribly difficult. Not only that, buying the battery on your own and replacing it costs a fraction of what you’ll pay for an out of warranty repair. So if you’ve been experiencing less than stellar battery life, we can help you replace your iPhone 5s’ battery in under 30 minutes!
Does Apple Replace Batteries While You Wait
To replace an iPhone battery, either send it in to an Apple Repair Center or take it into an Apple Store in person. If its an easy replacement, your battery can be replaced while you wait if you take it in person to an Apple Store. Better yet, if your iPhone is under warranty, you can get it replaced for free!Apr 4, 2019.
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