OK, so maybe this is not very high on the Bad Ass Scale, but I was lusting very hard for a new iPhone 6S and resisted. I was especially drawn to the improved cameras, since the iPhone basically is my camera. Instead I'm going to chug along on my iPhone 5.
My iPhone 5 battery was almost dead. It was erratic and unreliable and couldn't get through the day. It would drop down to 50% and just turn off. I ran iBackupBot and the measurements it showed me indicated that the battery was basically worn out, which is not surprising for a 3 year old phone.
I was under the impression that only Apple could replace the battery, at $79 plus $6.95 shipping. I didn't want to spend $87 on a 3-year-old phone that might only be worth $100. So I figured I would get a new iPhone.
I was at the Apple store and was about to drop $849 (!) + $38 sales tax on a new iPhone 6S Plus with 64 GB data, out of contract. In the middle of checking out, a wave of revulsion swept through me, like a chill you feel when it's winter and you open the front door and feel the cold air outside. I just could not drop $887 like that.
So I did some more research and found that you can actually replace the battery yourself fairly easily for around $25 (battery plus a few tools). I bought a ScandiTech battery and tools for $25. I watched some online videos and replaced the battery in under 15 minutes with no mishaps.
Now I'm delighted. I feel like I have a new phone. I can probably drag out the iPhone 5 for at least another year or two. My wife has a iPhone 4S which also has a nearly-dead battery, so I bought a replacement battery for her as well. She doesn't use the phone much, so she can probably chug along on that old phone for a while longer too.
One benefit of my shopping for a new iPhone is that I learned from the Apple employee that my AT&T plan could be improved. I changed my plan to one that fits our usage better and I'll be saving an extra $25 per month. (Yes, I studied some of the threads about cheaper plans, and maybe I'll do that one day, but one step at a time...)
So, the point of my post is that you shouldn't think that you need to drop $87 to change a phone battery, and you shouldn't justify that expense to get a new phone if you don't really "need" one.
Various linksiPhone 5 battery kit. I went with ScandiTech because they had the best reviews, although there are many other options.
ScandiTech Replacement Battery Compatible with iPhone 5 | iPhone 5.
You can get the ScandiTech on Amazon.com here. The battery alone is around $17, or $24 including tools.
Amazon.com: ScandiTech 3.8V 1440 mAh Li-ion Replacement Battery for iPhone 5 with Tools and Instructions: Cell Phones & AccessoriesBe sure to get the correct battery for your iPhone model. The 5S and 5C batteries are different.
Amazon.com: Replacement Battery for iPhone 5S & 5C by ScandiTech / Repair KitI found that Scanditech doesn't make batteries for the iPhone 4S, so I went with a different manufacturer. This one has 4-star (out of 5) reviews on Amazon.
Amazon.com: TechAhead® IPhone 4S Replacement battery (For all models): Cell Phones & AccessoriesAlso, I used iBackupBot to check my iPhone battery health. It's a computer program, not an iPhone app.
Check iPad iPhone battery charge cycle count without jailbreakingiBackupBot - Software Informer. Helps you browse, view, export and even edit files backed up to iTunes.
