I was vacationing in Thailand for the third time (still a great destination, by the way!). The recent floods disrupted some of my plans, and I hope everyone affected is safe. But there was one thing I really wanted to get done during my trip: replace the battery in my iPhone 15 Pro, which had dropped to 79% battery health.

So, I headed to the Apple Store and waited for my turn. The representative told me it would probably be better to come back the following morning, as they weren’t sure whether they had the replacement batteries in stock.

Fair enough. I returned early the next day, waited a little, and handed over my phone for repair. I was told the replacement would take around two and a half hours.

With some time to kill, I went to a nearby mall to look for sportswear. I managed to find a few things, although not as much as I’d hoped. Eventually, I made my way back to the Apple Store, expecting to collect my phone with a fresh battery.

Instead, I got my phone back exactly as I had handed it in. No repair. No battery replacement.

Why? The representative showed me a small, dry spot inside the phone and said it was evidence of water exposure. According to him, the phone was working fine, and there was no immediate danger, but they couldn’t replace the battery because of it. Even when I asked if there was any way to proceed, the answer was no.

I understand that Apple has procedures to follow, especially when it comes to safety. But I couldn’t help wondering: could there really be no alternative? The phone was working perfectly fine, the water indicator hadn’t been triggered, and the spot they showed me was dry. Could it have been caused by humidity or something else?

If there is a genuine safety concern, explain it to me. If the repair comes with additional risks, tell me what they are. But if the device is otherwise working normally, why not offer the option to proceed with the repair after explaining the risks and having the customer sign an appropriate waiver, if that is an option under the repair policy?

Instead, I walked out with the same ageing battery and a couple of hours of my vacation wasted.

The whole support experience

Another thing that bothered me was the amount of time spent answering questions and providing personal information.

Before visiting the store, I had to go through what felt like a 15-minute interrogation session with Apple Support. Then, at the store, there were more questions, more personal information to provide, and account-related formalities.

I understand that some information is necessary for a repair. But does a straightforward battery replacement really need to be this complicated?

My experience with Samsung was very different

Want to know how my Samsung Galaxy battery replacement went?

I walked into the store, handed over my phone, and got it back with the battery replaced in about an hour.

That’s it. No lengthy process, no unnecessary complications, and a much lower price than what Apple was charging.

Of course, every repair and every device is different, and I can’t say everyone will have the same experience. But the contrast between the two experiences was hard to ignore.

Just sell me a battery, please!

Apple also offered me a trade-in deal for my iPhone 15 Pro. The amount offered was so low that I declined.

I’m not interested in buying a new phone just because the battery needs replacing, especially when my device isn’t even three years old yet. The phone still does everything I need it to do. I simply wanted to give it a new battery and continue using it.

Why should a perfectly capable phone need to be replaced just because its battery has deteriorated?

Final thoughts

Anyway, I just wanted to share my experience. Unfortunately, this wasn’t the first disappointing experience I’ve had with Apple, and it wasn’t entirely different from a few previous encounters.

I know Apple has its own policies and procedures, and I’m sure there are reasons behind some of them. But from a customer’s perspective, the whole experience felt unnecessarily complicated and inflexible.

I went in wanting a simple battery replacement. I left with the same 79% battery, less time to enjoy my vacation, and a lot of questions.

Maybe there’s more to the story from Apple’s perspective, but based on my experience, I expected better.

Have you had a similar experience with Apple repairs? Or have things gone more smoothly for you? I’d be interested to hear your thoughts in the comments.