Replacing Iphone 6s battery in Thailand

[NiwPix]

I would like to take advantage of the battery replacement program Apple offered. I went to the only authorized apple store ( iServe ) here in Ubon Ratchathani and they quoted me a little over 4000 Baht to replace. They said they are not offering or part of the apple replacement program. If I would like to do it, I would need to give them the phone for approximately 2 weeks and they will send it in for me to have it replaced.

Also, with their little English and my limited Thai, I think they said I can have it changed in Bangkok on the spot. I travel to Bangkok fairly often and would go visit the place that replaces the battery with a genuine iphone battery.

Does anybody if this is true and where I can get this done in Thailand, without having to wait ~ 2 weeks?

[tropo]

4000 baht to replace it AND wait for 2 weeks. That's rough! With all the people that own iPhones, you'd think they could do better service.

[NiwPix]

Sorry, I probably expressed myself wrong. I have to options with iServe here in Ubon

1. pay a little over 4000 and get a genuine replacement on the spot

or

2. Use the apple program, pay about 1000 and leave the phone with them for about 2 weeks

 

Obviously I dont like either option and am looking for a place that can do it on the spot for 1000 baht / 29 dollars with a genuine battery...in thailand

[clokwise]

There are stories coming from the US this week where customers are being turned away because there are not enough replacement batteries in stock, people are saying several weeks wait is normal at the moment.

 

I'm also looking to get my iphone 6 battery replaced - are there any authorized centers in Thailand offering this $29 replacement program?

 

[bubba]

I have an iPhone 6 and have already had the battery replaced by a third party with a non-Apple battery. I was just wondering whether my phone would qualify for the Apple battery replacement, given that it is not an Apple battery. Anybody know?

[richard_smith237]

Not knowing the answer to the Opening Post: I would suspect that if you are coming to Bangkok anyway the best answer you will receive is to go to an Authorized Apple Repair center and see what they say....

 

The Authorized Apple Repair center may offer free replacement on the spot, however, upon doing so they may then recognize that the battery has already been replaced and any warranty for replacement void (if the replacement Battery was not an original Apple Battery) - in which case you are stuck with them having opened up your phone !... 

 

Having another replacement at MBK or elsewhere which will carry out a 3rd party replacement is a reasonable plan B which will be able to be carried out on the spot. 

[NiwPix]

I still have my original battery.

 

I went to iServe to pick up my replacement power adapter and the person helping me spoke decent English. I was going to ask about a store in Bangkok replacing the battery on the spot....but before I was able to form my question, he said they now offer "on the spot" replacement for 1000 Baht. However, they do not have any batteries in Stock and a waiting list. I signed up and he said about 2-3 weeks for my turn.

Happy Camper :)

[clokwise]

20 hours ago, bubba said:

I have an iPhone 6 and have already had the battery replaced by a third party with a non-Apple battery. I was just wondering whether my phone would qualify for the Apple battery replacement, given that it is not an Apple battery. Anybody know?

I'm in the same boat. I went to icare in Chiang Mai yesterday, after waiting for two hours they opened up the phone and said since it's an unofficial battery in there now they won't replace the battery under their 1000THB replacement program - I will have to pay full price.

 

 

[Bosscat]

Went to the apple store in Ploenchit today to replace my 6+ battery and they told me no stock till April. No mention of a waiting list.  

[Lammbock]

I brought an IPhone 6s to iServe Amarin Plaza in Bangkok and they replaced the phone within 3 days.

I didn't pay a dime since it still had 3 month warranty left and they moved this 3 month over to the replacement device too.

 

[Fat Prophet]

On ‎1‎/‎23‎/‎2018 at 10:02 PM, Bosscat said:

Went to the apple store in Ploenchit today to replace my 6+ battery and they told me no stock till April. No mention of a waiting list.  

Has anyone tried and gotten an Apple replacement battery under the Apple battery replacement scheme in BKK or Pattaya? If yes, location and details would be much appreciated. I have a 6+ that needs a new battery and I would like to get it done without great hassle or delay. Thanks very much for any help/information. FP

[NiwPix]

If you do find a shop, there will most likely be a waitlist to put your name on.

I put my name on the waitlist in mid january and stopped by today for an update and I have 31 people ahead of me and he said approzimately 2 more weeks....so I am counting on another month or so

[Fat Prophet]

12 minutes ago, NiwPix said:

If you do find a shop, there will most likely be a waitlist to put your name on.

I put my name on the waitlist in mid january and stopped by today for an update and I have 31 people ahead of me and he said approzimately 2 more weeks....so I am counting on another month or so

Thanks. Where is that shop? In BKK? 

[NiwPix]

I am using iServe in Ubon Ratchathani. They are located in Central Plaza. I am sure in BKK or Pattaya Malls have iServe shops. iStudio may work as well.

[tropo]

5 minutes ago, NiwPix said:

I am using iServe in Ubon Ratchathani. They are located in Central Plaza. I am sure in BKK or Pattaya Malls have iServe shops. iStudio may work as well.

There's a new iCare store in Central Mall Pattaya. I think it's the 4th floor where all the hair salons are located. They only charge 6900 baht to replace a Macbook Air battery. Bargain!!!

[NiwPix]

Just now, tropo said:

There's a new iCare store in Central Mall Pattaya. I think it's the 4th floor where all the hair salons are located. They only charge 6900 baht to replace a Macbook Air battery. Bargain!!!

I think that is the standard price for a macbook battery replacement.

The "Bargain" replacement battery we're talking about is the iphone battery replacement at 1000 Baht instead of the normal ~4,000 Baht.

[tropo]

5 minutes ago, NiwPix said:

I think that is the standard price for a macbook battery replacement.

The "Bargain" replacement battery we're talking about is the iphone battery replacement at 1000 Baht instead of the normal ~4,000 Baht.

I will inquire at the iCare shop when I pass there. I also own an iphone 6, so it would be handy to know.

[Lammbock]

A new iMedic shop has opened in Terminal21 Bangkok. Maybe try this one?

[Fat Prophet]

On ‎2‎/‎20‎/‎2018 at 9:04 PM, tropo said:

I will inquire at the iCare shop when I pass there. I also own an iphone 6, so it would be handy to know.

I believe that the Apple offer for iPhone battery replacement for B1000 is effective for the 2018 calendar year and expires on 31st Dec. 2018. But it would be good to get into the queue if there is a strong demand for replacement iPhone batteries, as I expect that there is. And I expect that people that own an iPhone model earlier than an iPhone 7 will choose to replace the battery before the battery replacement offer expires, even if the battery does not show diminished capability, simply because of the increase in cost after the offer is finished. So, the demand may actually increase as the end of the offer period gets closer. The iPhone 6 that I have is actually the gf's castoff as she upgraded to an iPhone X last week, which she complained was getting noticeably slower, so time to replace its battery (at least). I hope to stop in iCare over the weekend and bring the phone "just in case", but in any event to get my name on a list. Thanks. 

[Fat Prophet]

On ‎2‎/‎20‎/‎2018 at 8:55 PM, tropo said:

There's a new iCare store in Central Mall Pattaya. I think it's the 4th floor where all the hair salons are located. They only charge 6900 baht to replace a Macbook Air battery. Bargain!!!

I went to the iCare on the 4th floor of Central Mall in Pattaya yesterday afternoon. I brought my 6+ with me on the hope that they might have the replacement battery in stock. They provide excellent service and support. They checked my phone and did a pretty thorough examination. The phone is ok, but the battery, they said, was weak and needed to be replaced. They had none in stock and would order 1 for me. Payment in full (B1000) was required to order the battery, which I was happy to pay. They said that it would be 1 (or 2) months before the battery would arrive and that they would send me an sms when the battery was in. Given what I had heard about the time to wait, I was not surprised. I was a bit surprised that they would require advance payment to order a part that they should have in stock normally. But, mai pen rai.  

[tropo]

18 hours ago, Fat Prophet said:

I went to the iCare on the 4th floor of Central Mall in Pattaya yesterday afternoon. I brought my 6+ with me on the hope that they might have the replacement battery in stock. They provide excellent service and support. They checked my phone and did a pretty thorough examination. The phone is ok, but the battery, they said, was weak and needed to be replaced. They had none in stock and would order 1 for me. Payment in full (B1000) was required to order the battery, which I was happy to pay. They said that it would be 1 (or 2) months before the battery would arrive and that they would send me an sms when the battery was in. Given what I had heard about the time to wait, I was not surprised. I was a bit surprised that they would require advance payment to order a part that they should have in stock normally. But, mai pen rai.  

You beat me to it - thanks for sharing.

 

My wife's iPhone 6's battery still seems to be very good - it will be 3 years old soon. I think we should take this opportunity anyway. If the battery craps out next year we'll be up for 4000 replacement. Did your battery performance decline slowly, or all of a sudden?

[Fat Prophet]

32 minutes ago, tropo said:

My wife's iPhone 6's battery still seems to be very good - it will be 3 years old soon. I think we should take this opportunity anyway. If the battery craps out next year we'll be up for 4000 replacement. Did your battery performance decline slowly, or all of a sudden?

The iPhone 6+ that I now have was my gf's phone, and she upgraded to a iPhone X last month (happy Valentine's Day!) and I got her 2 year old iPhone 6+. Her complaints about her phone getting slow just started recently, not long after the kids got new iPhone 7+s for Christmas (perhaps there is a relationship there (after the visit to iCare, I am now hearing that her mother's phone (my daughter's less than 1 year old True (Lenovo) phone that went to her when my daughter got the iPhone for Christmas) has very low sound volume (suggesting, perhaps, that the 6+ should go to her? No comment from me yet))). 

 

The iCare shop will do a full diagnostics on your wife's phone for no charge. The battery strength shows on their computer as 4 quadrants -- 4 orange quadrants is a fully powerful battery. Mine had only 1 orange quadrant, but the phone still functions properly albeit slowly, as I expect that the installed program slows performance to extend battery life (or at least that is what Apple claims). But, good or not, I really think that it makes sense to replace the (then) 3+ year old battery in your wife's phone before the promotion ends at the end of 2018, simply as "preventive maintenance" at a substantial price reduction.  Unless you plan to upgrade/replace the iPhone 6, IMO it is a "no brainer". And even if you plan to replace the phone and sell it, I think it will be worth significantly more if you show a receipt for a new battery in a used but otherwise in very good condition phone (my idea as soon as the battery comes in, unless it goes to my gf's mother...). 

[tropo]

29 minutes ago, Fat Prophet said:

The iPhone 6+ that I now have was my gf's phone, and she upgraded to a iPhone X last month (happy Valentine's Day!) and I got her 2 year old iPhone 6+. Her complaints about her phone getting slow just started recently, not long after the kids got new iPhone 7+s for Christmas (perhaps there is a relationship there (after the visit to iCare, I am now hearing that her mother's phone (my daughter's less than 1 year old True (Lenovo) phone that went to her when my daughter got the iPhone for Christmas) has very low sound volume (suggesting, perhaps, that the 6+ should go to her? No comment from me yet))). 

 

The iCare shop will do a full diagnostics on your wife's phone for no charge. The battery strength shows on their computer as 4 quadrants -- 4 orange quadrants is a fully powerful battery. Mine had only 1 orange quadrant, but the phone still functions properly albeit slowly, as I expect that the installed program slows performance to extend battery life (or at least that is what Apple claims). But, good or not, I really think that it makes sense to replace the (then) 3+ year old battery in your wife's phone before the promotion ends at the end of 2018, simply as "preventive maintenance" at a substantial price reduction.  Unless you plan to upgrade/replace the iPhone 6, IMO it is a "no brainer". And even if you plan to replace the phone and sell it, I think it will be worth significantly more if you show a receipt for a new battery in a used but otherwise in very good condition phone (my idea as soon as the battery comes in, unless it goes to my gf's mother...). 

Good info! Thanks!

 

My wife's iPhone 6 will eventually be mine LOL, so yeah, it makes sense to replace the battery.

 

 

[DMC1]

Just did the battery check on my 6S at the new iCare in Central Pattaya.

It passed with flying colours but I haven’t had any issues with slowing down or anything, just thought I’d try. They said try again towards the end of the year before the offer ends.

[Jimi007]

The new iOS has a beta battery health feature. My 6s is still 91%, my wife’s is 95% of full new capacity. But I will probably get them replaced before the Apple offer expires.


Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect

[DMC1]

The new iOS has a beta battery health feature. My 6s is still 91%, my wife’s is 95% of full new capacity. But I will probably get them replaced before the Apple offer expires.


Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect

My 6S is still 89% and they won’t replace the battery under the offer unless it’s significantly lower than this.

[Jimi007]

4 hours ago, DMC1 said:

 

My 6S is still 89% and they won’t replace the battery under the offer unless it’s significantly lower than this.

 

 Good to know! Then I guess I will see what our battery health is around November! The heat at this time of year doesn't do much for them! Also by then we will be in the USA with a real Apple Store, so they may have different standards than the Thai repair centers.

[tropo]

1 hour ago, Jimi007 said:

 Good to know! Then I guess I will see what our battery health is around November! The heat at this time of year doesn't do much for them! Also by then we will be in the USA with a real Apple Store, so they may have different standards than the Thai repair centers.

1

It's highly unlikely they'll be giving batteries away to people with 89% or higher battery power, even in the US.

[Jimi007]

10 hours ago, tropo said:

It's highly unlikely they'll be giving batteries away to people with 89% or higher battery power, even in the US.

Well after I read your post I called Apple Care. They said they will replace my battery for any reason even if it's at 91%, for $29 USD or Baht equivalent at an Authorized Apple Repair Center in Thailand. Do not go to an Apple retailer. Would I like to go ahead with the replacement we can start the paperwork? I said maybe I will wait a few months as I have until the end of the year.

[DMC1]

Well after I read your post I called Apple Care. They said they will replace my battery for any reason even if it's at 91%, for $29 USD or Baht equivalent at an Authorized Apple Repair Center in Thailand. Do not go to an Apple retailer. Would I like to go ahead with the replacement we can start the paperwork? I said maybe I will wait a few months as I have until the end of the year.

ICare in Central Pattaya is an authorised Apple repair centre (small new shop on 4th floor). They plugged my phone in and performed the battery diagnostic check on my 6S while I was stood there.

1. They couldn’t replace my battery under the program as it passed the test and was still in good condition.
2. If it had failed the test there is over 4 week wait for a replacement battery.
3. The technician told me to try again later in the year to see if my battery showed any signs of degradation as the offer ends at the end of the year.
4. My phone will be 3 years old in October so I’ll probably sell it and upgrade anyway. 6S still a great phone though and still works silky smooth.