AfterDawn: News

Apple sued over iPhone battery

A questionable lawsuit has been filed against Apple Inc. by Larry Drury, an Illinois lawyer, on behalf of Jose Trujillo, alleging that the company defrauded Trujillo by failing to reveal details about the iPhone battery. Drury claims that Apple failed to reveal that the iPhone battery was not user-replaceable and that it would die after 300 charges. To get a new battery for an iPhone, you have to send it back to Apple at a cost of $85.95.

"This case arises out of Defendants' purposeful and fraudulent concealment to purchasers of its iPhone cellular telephone that they will be required to incur an annual fee of $85.95 as part of Defendants' battery replacement program," the complaint reads. It goes on to say that, "the iPhone battery has a durability and/or lifetime of approximately 300 charges, necessitating frequent and more than annual maintenance, repair, and/or replacement if charged regularly on a daily basis."



When the iPhone launched, Apple said that the battery would start to "lose capacity" after about 300 or 400 charges. However, the company is referring to charge cycles, which is basically a completely drained battery then charged up fully. Apple defines proper maintenance as "at least one charge cycle per month." Also, the battery won't be completely useless after 400 charges. Apple's website says that the battery will retain up to 80% of its original capacity at 400 full charge and discharge cycles.

The one year warranty covering the iPhone (can be extended to two years for $69) entitles the owner to a free replacement battery if it drops below 50% capacity too.

Source:
News.com

Written by: James Delahunty @ 31 Jul 2007 18:31

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• 15 comments

• borhan9

  Quote:Drury claims that Apple failed to reveal that the iPhone battery was not user-replaceable and that it would die after 300 charges. To get a new battery for an iPhone, you have to send it back to Apple at a cost of $85.95.For this reason alone i will stick with Nokia I love my Nokia phones.

  2.8.2007 16:07 #1

• ripxrush

  1 This is PETTY!!! 2 like said above another reason to stay with a hone that you can change the battery on your self!
  
  89 isn't that much more than a newer model phone battery when they first come out! usually they run around 49-59 when first coming out! unless you get a china cheapie for 19-29! the cost in relation to the phone cost if you look @ it isn't too bad!
  i have a new phone been out a few months it will cost me $59 for OEM replacement! it is a $400 phone! If this guy is mad about lifetime that isn't bad that sounds on par with just about any other phone or rechargeable battery!

  2.8.2007 22:25 #2

• Steve83

  Let's see: if you're using only 1/2 the features on the phone, and only for 1/2 your waking hours, the phone battery will cycle about once every 2 days (not the ridiculous once-per-month Sony suggest). That makes 400 full cycles in about 2 years. So option 1 is to spend $90 every 2 years, and be without your expen$ive phone for, what? 4 weeks minimum? Option 2: pay $70 extra up front (I bet they won't offer to finance that into your monthly bill, either) so your first replacement is "free" (wait, you're paying $70+interest to get that) and you're still out of a phone for a few weeks while they crack it open & weld a new one in.
  
  
  
  Hmmmmm...
  
  
  This is a tough one...
  
  
  Hmmmm...
  
  
  
  I'll go with option 3: keep my cheapo phone, my cheapo digicam, my cheapo MP3 player, & use my expensive PC for browsing.

  3.8.2007 14:54 #3

• plazma247

  Since i got touchflow working on my htc wizard im going stick with that... but.
  
  Most phone batteries last a year..... phone manufactures have never offered warwanty for battries, when ever ive had swap out handsets im always told there is not warwanty on the cells and to send back everything apart from that.
  
  http://zedomax.com/blog/2007/07/31/do-yo...iphone-battery/
  
  Lists a user kit for the phone, apple may not have been happy about its production but it would show that the battery was user-changable.

  4.8.2007 03:56 #4

• core2kid

  Apple would have been a lot smarter if they could have made the batteries on all the ipods and iphone user replaceable.

  4.8.2007 06:27 #5

• plazma247

  I think the main reason they dont do this is design, the only way to do that would to have a large retractable plate or what ever, i think that as the phones and ipods are packed as much as possible it a play off against a sleak design or a larger design that had the extra space requried to have a proper battery compartment and removable locking cover that wasnt just held onto the back with a decent and durable clasp system.
  
  I think the design side won, which is really what i guess the devices are about.
  
  However in this day and age it makes me wonder why dont they make the batteries slot in form like in laptops, sort of like older game carts just a small fob or what ever would be showing to allow retraction, then a small sliding clasp is sufficent, this could then be done using a push pin from the side.

  4.8.2007 06:37 #6

• akoli

  I'm sure the same kits will be available for the Iphone as the Ipod where you buy the replacement battery instructions and a unique screwdriver to replace yourself....its a well documented fact that the apple batteries , ipod , nano shuffle aren't great so can now add on iphone to their crappy battery list. (Just note that I have never seen or held an Iphone so unsure how easily it can be popped open....before the comments flow about it being a sealed unit blah blah blah )...Plus its also a first genearation phone so theres going to be teething problems ....battery issues was the main reason why I got a creative mp3 player opposed to ipod.

  6.8.2007 15:31 #7

• Unfocused

  Now I can understand replacement plans on MP3 players and whatnot, but for the phone? My average lifespan on a phone before I buy a new one is 18 months tops.
  
  If you are shelling out $600 to begin with for an iPone, you have already been sucked into the corporate propaganda machine, and the additional fee for a battery should be of no concern to you.

  14.8.2007 14:39 #8

• akoli

  Hence I've never bought an apple anything !!!!

  14.8.2007 16:00 #9

• core2kid

  i bought an apple before, they are tasty, LOL, I just wanted a laugh

  15.8.2007 11:43 #10

• akoli

  Only aple I've evr bought as well !!!

  15.8.2007 17:12 #11

• plazma247

  I get a new phone every 12 months.
  
  Had:
  
  Razr V3 - Battery still working
  Razr V3i - Battery died 8 months in
  Now ive got a Qtek 9100, mines ok but my mates batt died after 7 months.
  
  12 months for a mordern lion batt is about right !!
  
  Actually the main problem with a lion based battery is that you cant let the cell go full flat, a lion must have a residual charge in it in order to get it charge again.
  
  Many people who rape their phones all day and then turn it back on repeated times after the battery said it was dead shouldnt be surprised their batteries dont last as well as others ;-)

  16.8.2007 01:20 #12

• akoli

  That'll be why phone shops always tell you let the battery run fully flat now n again before recharging...so you have to come back for a new phone......
  
  I've never had any problems with batteries with nokias or SE.....motorola razr's I know my mrs battery was lucky to last through the working day after a few months of use .....

  16.8.2007 15:17 #13

• plazma247

  no thats cus they are all dumb ass mofo's discharging was requried to get proper operation from older nicad cells but seeing as there hasnt been a mobile made in the last 5 years that uses one they are actually telling people completely the wrong thing.
  
  A lion batter doesnt have a memory so a recharge - discharge cycle is not required.
  
  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lithium_ion_battery

  17.8.2007 15:15 #14

• albino92

  Nobody sued them for the ipod battery wow! Hell i shoud've sued them for my battery?!

  17.8.2007 19:29 #15