The complimentary 1-year warranty covers battery issues due to normal use. If your iPhone won't hold a charge after ten months (as the Foundation for Consumer and Taxpayer Rights says may be the case), then either contact AppleCare or bring it in to an Apple Store and get it replaced for free. The only issue at that point would be making sure your data is backed up, which will be done already if the content is yours and you sync it regularly, and paying for the $29 loaner while your phone is in the shop. I wish people would read the terms instead of freaking out.

It is widely known that Apple designs its overpriced products to continue milking you after you have purchased them. The iPhone's expensive battery replacement policy is just the latest example of a long history that confirms this.

Has anyone here tried to replace or upgrade an iBook's hard drive? You have to take the whole machine appart! The same goes if you want to replace or upgrade the combo drive or superdrive (fancy names for a DVD/CD drive!). The design of Apple products is made so that you have to take them to the Apple repair shops for service. These products are not consumer-friendly in any way.

In most PC laptops it is very easy to swap these parts: just unscrew the hard drive cover and either two or four more screws that secure the HD to the caddy and you will have repaced or upgraded the hard drive in less than five minutes.

The lower total cost of ownership is a myth. Not only do you heftily contribute to S. Jobs profits in your initial purchase, but this continues whenever you need to take your Apple products to the Apple store for repairs. It is also a myth that Apple hardware is better as their products suffer from just as many problems as those from other manufacturers.

An Apple fanatic once said that the bottom of their laptop was nicer than the top of PC laptops. Even if we accept this opinion, I would rather not have it that way if it means I have to leave more than $200 at the Apple store each time that I need something done to the laptop. The same enormous difficulty of service and high cost goes for iMacs or other computers on their line.

I do know that after a few months the original finish of his laptop will be all scratched while mine will retain its beauty for a lot longer!

As a longtime user of both platforms (as I am obligated to use Apple products at work), I have come to the conclusion that there is nothing superior about Apple products except their high cost of ownership and initial purchase.

I understand that a lot of Apple users might jump at my words, but I wonder if they also use PC's. Just try finding the very usable and ergonomic right mouse button in an Apple... The same goes if you want to use the wheel that we PC users have enjoyed for so long. Apple's arrogance is such that they continue to manufacture their computers with a one button mouse!

So, it is not surprising that Apple is selling an overpriced phone with a battery that lasts ten months and that you have to send your phone to them for three days (yeah, right! Three days? Hmmm...) My old Samsung's battery was still good after three years of use. A new battery would have cost me around $20 and I did not have to send the phone to Apple to change the battery. Most companies have a different business philosoply than Apple and this is good for all of us.

Auresi

The headline is inaccurate. It's not "users" who are blasting the iPhone battery policy, it's a crusading "consumer rights" lawyer who files class-action lawsuits at every conceivable consumer "injustice", like not labeling the coffee as hot... sheesh!

Removed by Moderator if you don't like the battery policy, don't buy an iPhone. But don't use the pretense of a class-action lawsuit to pump yourself up with self-importance and make it seem like a life-or-death issue. It ain't. It's a Removed by Moderator battery.

Removed by Moderator

Edited by MPHEnterprises - Watch the Tone of Your Posts and Watch Your Language

Inverse137: Uhh, please read the article again. Apple did NOT release the battery policy until after the iPhone went on sale.

Quote: "Apple published information about its battery replacement plan on its Web site on Friday after the product went on sale."

My next-door neighbor purchased an iPhone and didn't know about the battery policy until he got the thing home. He was showing it off to me and I asked him what he thought about paying $80-plus dollars to replace the batteru. He was in denial until I showed him an article about it on Gizmodo. This little tidbit wasn't disclosed at the Apple store where he bought it.

It's all good and well to say, "If you don't like something, don't buy it" provided full disclosure is made in advance of a purchase. Face it. This was yet another item in a long list wherein Apple uses deceptive tricks like this in order to bilk their customers. Their products are all overpriced to begin with (something the fan boys can't deny).

You do not need to have any sympathy for me. I love the iphone and bought one first day. I have never owned another apple product, but knew I wanted an iphone after researching it thoroughly. I have been extremely happy so far. Nicest UI I have ever experienced with a phone. Feels more sturdy than any other I have ever used, like nokia, sonyericcson, and motorola. For what you get I find the price reasonable. I hated using blackberries, pda's and other smartphones. This phone is a total joy. i love using the internet, email, camera, maps, stocks, music player and especially the voice mail. The menu system is much faster than any other phone I have ever seen. After holding one, I understand why there is no removable battery. The solid design is much more sturdy and attractive (if you care about looks). I have never used itunes before, but the software is way better than any of the software with my older phones. Most of my old phones had some form of music or internet. I hardly ever used either due to the poor software, UI, load time or execution.
I do not think the phone is perfect. I do not like the lack of a2dp for stereo bluetooth or mms. I think that the edge network is slow while the wifi is marvelous. I would also like to the see horizontal keyboard used in other parts of the UI and not just the browser. I do not know if i would ever buy an apple computer, but I would certainly by another apple phone.

spiitz

The post about 5 back is right. It isn't the users, it's the lawyers. You think I would see any of the money if they win? Heck no. In fact, I would probably see an increase in what I have to pay to cover the company's court cost win or lose.

Thanks to my lack of funds for fancy phones, I did not and will not buy an iPhone. BUT, I do use AT&T as my carrier. Can I sue the "Consumer", I use the term lightly, groups to help recoup my increase in the bill? :idea:

To the guy who hates AT&T read the next 3 lines.

Yep, you got it. If no AT&T, that is what you'd be seeing now. NOTHING. Try yelling in sick to the office on the day you want to goof off.

Coppertrail...

Wrong. iPod batteries can be replaced with third-party kits that come with higher capacity batteries than Apple's and all the tools and instructions to do it yourself if you wish. No soldering, just a slip-on connector. And cheaper than Apple's battery replacement service. The iPhone battery is soldered, so only the most adventurous or electronically experienced should try it.

Also the iPhone battery information was buried 5 or 6 layers deep on the iPhone web page. Not user friendly or obvious at all.

Typical Apple...overpriced style over substance.