Tech
Apple will replace faulty iPhone XS and XR Smart Battery Cases
It's a charging problem, not a safety issue.
If you bought one of Apple’s Smart Battery Cases for a recent iPhone and found that it only charges your phone intermittently or doesn’t consistently charge itself when plugged into power, you could be eligible for a free replacement.
Recent phones only — Apple says the problem affects some cases for the iPhone XS, XS Max, and iPhone XR that were manufactured between January and October 2019. The company adds that there’s no fear of safety issues — don't panic, it's not a battery-related issue like on Samsung's Galaxy Note 7 back in 2016— with the affected cases.
If you think your case might be one of those affected you can swap it out for a new one at your nearest Apple Store (you can make an appointment over here). Apple says switching out a case doesn’t reset the warranty, but that cases will be guaranteed for two years from the original date of purchase.
This isn’t the first time Apple’s had to offer replacement products. Its butterfly keyboards on the MacBook range continue to give some users issues, and it’s previously had to replace MacBook displays that have lost their laminate coating or had an issue with their backlighting. Still, at least the company is fessing up to the problem with a free solution. Also, none of its missteps have stopped the company from selling almost 2 billion iPhones.
