Apple has acknowledged problems affecting some of its iPhone 6s handsets, and this time, it"s not blaming its customers for the issues.
The company has recently had to deal with complaints - and a class action lawsuit - from numerous owners of its iPhone 6, after many of those handsets were afflicted by the so-called "Touch Disease", with symptoms such as flickering displays and unresponsive touchscreens. Apple said that those issues were caused by mistreatment and owners repeatedly dropping their devices, only offering to repair them in exchange for $149.
But a separate problem has affected some of its newer iPhone 6s handsets too. Apple said it had "determined that a very small number of iPhone 6s devices may unexpectedly shut down". Perhaps wary of the fiery battery issues that affected Samsung"s Galaxy Note7 flagship, Apple emphasized that "this is not a safety issue", but has promised to replace the batteries on affected devices free of charge.
Apple said that the problem affects iPhone 6s handsets "within a limited serial number range that were manufactured between September and October 2015". Those who have experienced the "unexpected shutdown issue" can visit an Apple Store or authorized service center, or contact Apple Support, to arrange a battery replacement. It added that "wireless carrier partners are not participating in this program".
While battery replacements are being offered at no cost, Apple did warn that:
If your iPhone 6s has any damage such as a cracked screen which impairs the replacement of the battery, that issue will need to be resolved prior to the battery replacement. In some cases, there may be a cost associated with the repair.
Apple also said that it will honor refunds for customers who paid for battery repairs if their handset was affected by the shutdown issue.