Apple has made the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max batteries bigger, but a small catch is coming down the road. The company has quietly increased the out-of-warranty battery replacement fee for both models to $129 in the US, up from $119 for the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro.
Bigger batteries, slightly bigger repair bills
Apple has been steadily increasing battery capacity across generations, and the iPhone 18 Pro continues that trend. The slightly odd part is that battery replacement is getting more expensive at the same time.
That feels particularly interesting because the iPhone 18 Pro is designed to be easier to repair, including Apple’s use of electrically bonding adhesive, while lithium-ion battery costs have also been falling. The replacement fee has already climbed from $99 on the iPhone 15 Pro to $119 on the iPhone 16 Pro and 17 Pro, so the jump to $129 isn’t exactly out of character for Apple.
Still, with repairability improving, one might reasonably expect the cost to move in the other direction. So while nobody is going to complain about Apple squeezing more battery into an iPhone, the extra $10 does make this feel like Apple is trying to squeeze a little more juice out of the customer’s wallet too.
At least AppleCare+ keeps the battery bill away
There is one important exception. Customers with AppleCare+ can have the battery replaced at no additional charge once its maximum capacity drops below 80%. Without that coverage, the $129 out-of-warranty fee applies.
Interestingly, Apple still doesn’t list a specific battery replacement cost for the iPhone Duo, so assuming it will match the Pro models would be jumping the gun. But with two batteries inside the foldable, AppleCare+ might be worth considering if the Duo is on the shopping list. As for the 18 Pro and Pro Max, $10 more isn’t exactly wallet-destroying, but it’s another little reminder that going Pro keeps getting a little more expensive.
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