Death of an iPhone battery

There’s been much ado about battery replacements for the iPhone. We know that after 400 full charges, the iPhone’s battery will drop to around 80% capacity; hardly unusable, but we don’t know how the curve goes from there: do another 50 charges drop it to 70% capacity? 50% capacity? We don’t know yet, and it’s likely to be a while before we do.

We do know that Apple’s got a FAQ up on battery service for the iPhone, which states that it’ll cost $79 plus shipping and handling to have your iPhone’s battery replaced, that the process will erase all the data on your phone, and that it will take about three business days (if they’re smart, they’ll come up with a way of doing it in the Apple Store, or give you a loaner phone—nobody wants to be without a cell phone for three days).

But now, courtesy of PC Magazine, we can pinpoint the precise instant* your battery will die, just by typing in what day you bought your iPhone. Now you can plan ahead, and take preemptive measures to ensure that your iPhone is kept in good working fashion. I recommend bookmarking the page on your iPhone, just so you can keep an eye on the ticking countdown clock. It’s even better than watching the ball drop on New Year’s Eve.

* By precise, we mean “totally, ridiculously estimated.”

Update: A couple of additional pieces of information, based on comments below. PC Magazine’s basis for the battery life is based on approximated usage per day. And, as reader Drew points out below, Apple will charge your $30 for a loaner.

Category: Musings

Posted by Dan Moren on Jul 23 2007, 11:31 AM ET

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