iPhone 16 Pro battery replacement gets a price bump, repairability scores a big win

Apple giveth, and Apple taketh away.

The new iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max models may have made strides in fast charging technology and repairability, but if you’re looking to swap out a tired battery, prepare to dig a little deeper into your pockets. Apple has quietly bumped up the cost of a battery replacement to $119, a $20 increase over previous models. While this may not be the news that battery-hungry users want to hear, the broader repair story for Apple’s latest flagship phones is a lot more encouraging.

Let’s face it — batteries wear out, and when they do, the inevitable trip to an Apple Store or an authorized service provider can feel like déjà vu. Apple has made it official: the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max battery replacements will now set you back $119, MacRumors reports. This follows a pattern of price hikes for repairs that Apple has been rolling out over the years, starting with the iPhone 14’s $99 battery fee in 2022.

For context, Apple’s one-year warranty still covers defective batteries, and replacements remain free for AppleCare+ subscribers whose batteries drop below 80% capacity. But if your battery is just a little sluggish and out of warranty? It’s either fork over the cash, consider third-party options, or muster the courage to go DIY with Apple’s official parts. And trust us, the DIY route isn’t for the faint of heart, though it’s gotten a bit easier this year.

Thankfully, the iPhone 16 isn’t just about squeezing your wallet — it’s also about making your phone easier to fix when things go south. Apple has been on a repairability crusade in recent years, and the iPhone 16 line is the most repair-friendly yet, thanks to some clever engineering changes and new tools.

Remember the frustration of glued-down components that seemed designed to thwart even the most patient of DIY repair enthusiasts? Apple’s answer is a new adhesive design that can be loosened by simply applying low voltage from a 9-volt battery — no more melting or prying required. It’s a seemingly small tweak, but for those of us brave enough to pop open our phones, it’s a game changer.

Apple didn’t stop at glue. Several internal components have been redesigned to be more repairable, including the LiDAR scanner and TrueDepth camera — both exclusive to the Pro models. These changes mean less hassle for repair professionals and tech-savvy users alike, with Apple’s new Repair Assistant feature playing a starring role in the process. This tool helps ensure repairs are correctly installed and calibrated, simplifying what was once a notoriously tricky process.

This focus on repairability sets the iPhone 16 apart in a world where many flagship devices, like the Google Pixel 9 Pro XL, struggle with repairability challenges. Some versions of Google’s latest Pixel are essentially repair nightmares, often due to components that are hard to access or replace. Apple’s shift toward more accessible repairability may well set a new standard that others will be pressured to follow, especially as consumer demand for repair-friendly devices continues to grow.