If your iPhone 5 battery doesn’t seem to be holding a proper charge, there may be some good news for you.
While it’s fairly common for phone batteries to lose some of their ability to hold a charge over time, the battery issue with the iPhone5 should be fairly obvious. Having to carry an external charging device or charge your phone more than once per day for typical use may indicate you’re one of the unlucky/lucky ones. Others have complained that they watch the battery percentage drop drastically within minutes.
Apple discovered issues with some iPhone 5 batteries and released a recall on August 22, 2014 for users who purchased these phones between September 2012 and January 2013. If you can’t remember when your phone was purchased, there’s a website where you can type in your phone’s serial number to see if your phone qualifies. Only units which meet these qualifications and exhibit the battery charge issue are eligible for the repair.
The good news is that if there’s a local Apple Store, you can call in to make an appointment for the repair, which they do in-store, so you aren’t without your phone for very long. Instructions for those without a convenient Apple Store location are outlined in the link above.
Bonus: Having trouble with your sleep/wake button? There’s a recall for that too. Check your phone’s serial number on the website. You’ll have to send your phone out for this one, but the good news is that there’s a loaner phone program you can take advantage of for free while you wait for your phone repair. Before surrendering your phone, be sure to update your phone to iOS7 and back up your phone to your iTunes or iCloud before bringing it in because they’ll wipe it clean.
