Apple raises iPhone 14 battery costs above pre-Batterygate levels

While the iPhone 14 hardware lineup costs largely the same as the previous generation, the cost of replacing the battery has gone up considerably, surpassing the prices Apple was charging before its 2016/2017 "Batterygate" reckoning.

Replacing the battery in any of the iPhone 14 models will cost $99, up from the $69 Apple charges for the 13, 12, 11, and X lines. The newest iPhone SE and iPhones in the 8 and older series cost $49. Those prices are for out-of-warranty and non-AppleCare+ replacements at an Apple Store, while prices at authorized Apple repair stores may vary.

Apple typically only replaces a battery within AppleCare+ service if the device's battery health is at 80 percent or lower. Apple states that its batteries are rated to last 500 cycles before hitting 80 percent, though factors like temperature, leaving the battery at low charge, and others can decrease battery lifespan quickly.

While a 43 percent cost increase to replace a battery that's quite similar to the one inside the iPhone 13 is notable, Apple's newest battery pricing is something of a correction from a prior, much-publicized deviation.

Battery replacements on an iPhone 6 and later cost $79 until late 2017, when Apple's quiet, undocumented habit of slowing down older phones progressed from crowdsourced benchmark theory to an apology from Apple and, inevitably, a "Batterygate" moniker.

In addition to a rare acknowledgment of a mistake, Apple temporarily reduced the price of non-warranty/AppleCare battery replacements to $29. That lasted through 2018, but Apple still discounted its new battery pricing by $10 from pre-"gate" levels in 2019, charging $69. That pricing held until the iPhone 14.

The company has also gradually added battery health information to iOS, giving owners a look at their maximum capacity and indications whether their system could be slowed down to handle weaker battery voltage—if you've installed a genuine Apple battery, at least.