'Feels like a brand new phone,' say iPhone owners after trying the battery trick

You can instantly breathe new life into your old iPhone with a surprising battery trick.

If you have a iPhone for a few years and things are starting to slow down, you may not need to buy a new model.

Before purchasing an expensive new cell, consider replacing the battery instead.

All lithium-ion batteries (like the one in your iPhone) age and degrade over time, and this can negatively impact phone performance.

Fortunately, Apple allows you to have your battery replaced for a small fee, which will immediately improve performance – and your iPhone will even last longer per charge.

In a Reddit thread praising battery replacement, one user wrote: “I just wanted to say that after I replaced my battery, the iPhone 11 feels like a brand new phone.

“No more lags and freezes. Totally worth it money. I was at 68% battery health.”

Another said: “I did this recently too, at 75% battery. Totally worth it.”

HOT SWAP

Replacing an Apple battery is very easy and in some cases can even be free.

Apple explains: “We can replace your iPhone's battery for a service fee. Our warranty does not cover batteries that wear out through normal use.

“Your iPhone is eligible for a battery replacement at no additional cost if you have AppleCare+ and your product battery has less than 80 percent of its original capacity.”

You can check the status of your battery by going to Settings > Battery > Battery Status.

Typically, it takes about two years (or 500 charging cycles) for a battery to reach 80% of its “brand new” capacity.

If you are not covered by AppleCare+, you will have to pay a fee.

“We will inspect your product when we receive it and confirm the service charge,” Apple says.

“If your iPhone has damage that would prevent battery replacement, such as a cracked screen, that issue should be resolved before replacing the battery.

“In some cases there may be a cost associated with the repair.”

The price of your battery change depends on the iPhone model.

For example, replacing the battery with a new one iPhone 15 Pro Max could cost around $99.

If you get an iPhone 11 battery change, the fee will be closer to $89.

And if you have an iPhone 8, you'll only pay $69.

This is a great alternative to paying for a brand new phone, as it offers immediate improvements to battery life and performance – usually at a fraction of the cost of an upgrade.