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Report: Apple Has Activated Software Locks on iPhone Batteries to Discourage Third-Party Repairs

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Geekz Snow
Report: Apple Has Activated Software Locks on iPhone Batteries to Discourage Third-Party Repairs

Apple has activated a “dormant software lock” that effectively kneecaps third-party replacement batteries on some newer models of iPhone, according to a report from iFixIt on Wednesday, by disabling access to battery health data unless the replacement has been installed by Apple or an authorised service provider.

iFixIt wrote that this appears to be an intentional feature in which replacement batteries lacking a Texas Instruments microcontroller with a unique Apple authentication key are locked out of providing certain battery health data to users.

That includes cycle count, which indicates how much a battery may have degraded, as well as max capacity and peak performance capability.

In its place users are greeted with a “Service” indicator in a not-so-subtle hint that they should take their phone to a Genius Bar or authorised Apple repair service.

Even using another Apple battery doesn’t work, according to iFixIt, as a replacement battery can apparently only be authenticated using the company’s internal tools:

Put simply, Apple is locking batteries to their iPhones at the factory, so whenever you replace the battery yourself – even if you’re using a genuine Apple battery from another iPhone – it will still give you the “Service” message.

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Geekz Snow
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