Some iPhone 6s owners have been plagued by a problem that causes their phone to shut down unexpectedly, even though the battery meter shows a charge. What’s even more frustrating: If you bring your phone to an Apple Store or authorized service provider, their diagnostic tools have shown the device to be working properly. Now you can get the problem fixed by Apple, for free.
On Sunday Apple launched a new Repair Extension Program to cover iPhone 6s models afflicted by the issue. According to Apple, “a very small number of iPhone 6s devices” are afflicted with the problem, and all were made in September or October 2015. You’ll need to get in touch with Apple to find out if you’re eligible. Assuming you are, Apple will replace your device’s battery for free.
Just anecdotally, I was in an Apple Store last week to get my iPhone screen replaced when I overheard the customer at the table next to me complaining about this very issue. At the time, the Apple Genius didn’t know about the service program, which just launched over the weekend. So if you’ve been turned away at the Apple Store for this problem or given unhelpful advice to fix it that hasn’t worked, make an appointment to have your device looked at.
If you’ve already paid for a replacement, Apple should comp you for the repair. More details are available on their web site.
This comes only a few days after Apple launched another Repair Extension Program aimed specifically at iPhone 6 Plus users experiencing a problem that’s been called “Touch Disease:” Some iPhone 6 Plus models, after being repeatedly dropped, will develop flickering display problems or issues with the Multi-Touch functionality. Unlike the iPhone 6s shutdown issue, this is not a covered repair – you’ll need to pay Apple $149 to have it fixed (the key here is that it’s because the phone has been dropped, and user-caused damage isn’t something Apple covers). But at least Apple now acknowledges it’s a problem and has a program in place to deal with it.
Thanks for the heads up Peter! There wasn’t a place to verify if my SN was included in this and the experts on chat couldn’t verify either, so the only way to find out if you even qualify is to make a Genius Bar appointment… oh Apple. Hopefully mine qualifies because this has definitely been an issue.
I’m willing to bet that this is a work in progress and that Apple may not be sure about the full scope yet, which is why they don’t have a serial number checker in place yet. We’ll see. :\