> The problem is Apple makes the other option, battery replacement, extremely difficult
Take it to an Apple store, call Apple support, or take it to any one of your friendly neighborhood repair shops?
> ludicrously high amount
Battery replacement costs:
Google Phones: $79
Apple Phones: $79
Samsung Phones: Nothing 1st party, $50 was the cheapest 3rd party I could find.
This honestly doesn't even seem like that much when the battery itself retails for $25 before shipping. That plus an hour of skilled labor to do the replacement puts us right around $80-$100. And when a new battery extends the life of your $800 phone for another 2 years its hard to say the value isn't there.
It took me like 15 minutes to replace the battery in my Mi5, 5 of which were spent watching a tutorial video. And I'm neither skilled nor did I have the right tools. The battery itself was 10 EUR including shipping from a local seller, fwiw.
That said I don't think 79 USD every two years is ridiculous for a 700+ USD device. It better not take an hour, though!
Take it to an Apple store, call Apple support, or take it to any one of your friendly neighborhood repair shops?
> ludicrously high amount
Battery replacement costs:
Google Phones: $79
Apple Phones: $79
Samsung Phones: Nothing 1st party, $50 was the cheapest 3rd party I could find.
This honestly doesn't even seem like that much when the battery itself retails for $25 before shipping. That plus an hour of skilled labor to do the replacement puts us right around $80-$100. And when a new battery extends the life of your $800 phone for another 2 years its hard to say the value isn't there.