I have an iPhone 11 (regular - not fancy Pro or Max or whatever) that I use a lot. I’ve noticed that the battery has been dying much sooner than I would expect lately, and the “health” is at 79%.
I pay monthly for AppleCare, and have been since the phone was new in January 2020-ish. So it’s around 2.5 years old.
I haven’t really been running into issues, other than battery life. And theoretically it should be covered.
Am I likely to be able to walk in / walk out immediately (i.e. within an hour or so) at an Apple Store? Because if I have to mail it in, I would need to buy a new phone. I don’t have a spare.
Do y’all think that an iPhone 11 is still a viable, current phone if I got my battery sorted out? Or should I be looking at a different device?
I had an appointment and it took around 2 hours for Apple to replace the battery in my 6S a few years ago. But the store was the busiest I had ever seen it.
I’m still using an 11 and have no plans to replace it. The battery health is at 92% and the phone does everything I need.
Similar. I made an appointment for a battery swap. Dropped it off and got a text about 90 minutes later that it was ready. Pretty easy. Like @WayneG however, this was a few years ago.
Does the phone meet your needs? If yes, then it is a viable system.
If not, then get a new one.
Do the newer iPhones have features that you want/need? If yes then get a new one.
Do you just want the new shiny thing?
Only you can answer these questions.
Coincidentally, as a result of your post, I checked my battery. It is as 79% and I get the message I should have the battery replaced. Mine is Xs, and I don’t have any reason to upgrade.
Honestly, if I look at a new phone I might see if I’d be happy with the SE. The fancy camera isn’t a big draw for me on the 11 / 13, and the SE would seem to be a more capable unit in terms of processing power, speed, etc.
If not, I’d probably be leaning toward the 13 Mini.
As long as I can get the 11 repaired under AppleCare at the store though, I’ll probably just do that for the moment. And of course I’ll spend the repair time handling the SE and Mini and see what I think.
If I’m reading Apple’s website correctly, my 11 is worth something like $300 as a trade-in. So there’s that to consider as well. If I were happy with a 3rd generation SE, that $300 is the majority of the cost of the SE.
You will be looking at 90 minutes or more at any busy Apple store for a battery replacement.
While you have currently have AppleCare on this phone, you most likely will have to pay for a new battery. This is because you are below 80% FCC (full charge capacity) and diagnostic testing will show that. They have to run diagnostics to create a repair, no matter if it is a covered repair or paid repair.
You will probably be positioned to upgrade to a new model, but at least iPhone trade in prices are still good.
Just preparing you for what might happen when you get there. Please be nice to the Tech that helps you. Feel free to vent any frustrations to a Manager. I am only sharing my experience from the Genius Bar on what the warranty may or may not cover.
I have a SE (2020) and I’m very happy with it. My wife has a 13 Pro and she takes almost all of the pictures (I only take pictures of her). The SE does everything I need, it’s fast enough, and I liked the price.
Something that I’d consider (actually, something that I was forced to consider last summer after an incident that involved my wife’s iPhone and the lawnmower) is whether the time for a repair/replacement after a “serious” incident exceeds your tolerance for time without a phone. If so then it may be worth buying new and keeping this one as a spare.
I live a long way from the nearest Apple Store, so having spares is a thing for me. I could just go to the nearest Best Buy and pick up a replacement, but having a spare gives me the opportunity to either wait for a new model “in the fall” or to not have to settle for what’s locally in stock at the moment.
I have the 13 mini and love it! Has a great screen (if smaller) and nice camera. All the features of the regular 13 except for size and battery capacity as far as I can see. Both are fine for me. With these 80+ old eyes, I can use the Accessibility three finger double tap to magnify the small print on the screen if I need to. It is really a nice phone that fits in. my pocket (ladies pockets are ridiculously small!) ツ
Like many random things on iOS, I was completely unaware of that feature - and that may be the deciding factor for me getting the Mini if I decide to upgrade to the 13. Thanks!
Went in today. And like I thought, under 80% justifies a battery replacement under AppleCare. So free replacement. I have to come back in a few days because they didn’t have a battery, but it’ll be free when I bring it back in.
