ipodbatteryfaq.com -> ipodbatteryfaq.com/
I heard that the iPods battery only lasts 18 months, and then you have to buy a new iPod! When does Apple consider the battery defective for purposes of warranty replacement? What is the best way to handle charging/discharging/storage of lithium ion batteries? Is it okay to leave the iPod in the dock, or otherwise attached to external power, for extended periods of time? Is there any way to use an external battery pack, or standard AA batteries? Apple only released their battery replacement service because of all the bad publicity from iPods Dirty Secret. The program requires that you send in your iPod any model, and Apple will replace the battery and return it to you for $99. AppleCare programs for iPod will also soon be available in Europe , and are expected soon in other markets. The iPods case is not designed to be opened, so, in that respect, its not what would generally be referred to as user-replaceable.
Often these plans simply replace the product with a comparable new unit. Apple is consistently ranked number one in product quality and support by leading consumer groups, such as Consumer Reports. Apple also has out-of-warranty service and extended warranty options. Q: I heard that the iPods battery only lasts 18 months, and then you have to buy a new iPod! The vast, vast majority of even the earliest iPods, now over two years old, continue to function just fine. Lithium ion batteries are only good for 300 to 500 charge/discharge cycles more . For this reason, certain customers usage patterns may cause the batteries to degrade, or fail, sooner than others. A2: If the battery does fail, and the iPod is no longer under its original one year warranty or $59 AppleCare Protection Plan for iPod , or any of numerous third party service plans, you dont have to buy a new iPod. You may replace the battery yourself for as little as $49 , or have Apple perform the replacement for $99. Over time, the battery will not hold the same amount of charge as when it was new. This slow degradation will not affect, or be noticed by, most users. However, based on usage, environmental factors, and many other variables, some heavy users may notice a greater degradation than others.
Under good conditions, you should indeed get around 8 hours of battery life on a new iPod. This amount varies with age, usage style, and other factors, such as music format, backlight use, etc. To get the most out of your battery, follow these tips: iPod: How to Get the Most Out of the Battery Apple iPod: About Battery Care Apple A battery which only lasts for half 4 hours, or less, of the specified time of 8 hours may be considered to be defective under warranty terms. However, you should follow the steps in this document to test your battery life in a controlled way: iPod: The Battery Status Indicator Is Approximate Apple Q: When does Apple consider the battery defective for purposes of warranty replacement? A: According to the AppleCare Protection Plan for iPod Terms and Conditions , the iPod battery is defective when the capacity of the iPod battery to hold an electrical charge has depleted fifty 50 percent or more from its original specification. Knowledge Base article 61475 also says: if the iPod provides significantly less than the expected amount of play from the battery, then there may be an issue that the Apple service center should diagnose.
A: Apple uses the best lithium ion battery technology available from leading battery manufacturers. This is the best, most cost effective battery technology available given the requirements of the device. The lithium ion batteries that Apple uses are no different than the lithium ion batteries used by any other manufacturer, on products from portable music players, to laptops, to wireless phones. The battery should last most normal users the life of the product several years. A1: Follow these tips: iPod: How to Get the Most Out of the Battery Apple iPod: About Battery Care Apple How to prolong lithium-based batteries Battery University There are even external battery packs available that take standard AA batteries. A2: One very important thing covered in the above tips, but is important enough to repeat is to ensure you have the latest version of the iPod software, sometimes called firmware, on the iPod itself. A3: Some users of early iPods whose batteries appeared to be severely degraded have been able to restore them by following these simple instructions . Q: What is the best way to handle charging/discharging/storage of lithium ion batteries? A1: How to prolong lithium-based batteries A2: Lithium ion batteries are good for 300-500 charge/discharge cycles. A charge/discharge cycle generally consists of an extended charging period, and an extended discharging period. A quick charge, listening for 30 minutes, and charging again, for example, does not constitute a full charge/discharge cycle, but could rather be considered a portion of one. Also, many, many factors affect how much you get out of each charge, as well as how long the battery will last overall.
For more information on rechargeable batteries in general, see: Battery University Batteries in a Portable World: A Handbook on Rechargeable Batteries for Non-Engineers How Batteries Work An overview of lithium ion battery technology Q: If my battery dies, will I lose all of my music? If the battery is drained completely, or even removed, all of the music on the iPod will remain intact. Q: Is it okay to leave the iPod in the dock, or otherwise attached to external power, for extended periods of time? The iPods circuitry will no longer charge the battery once it is determined to be full, even if the iPod is still attached to external power. If your usage of the iPod consists almost exclusively of use while plugged in for extended periods of time such as weeks or months, and very limited usage from the battery, the battery is essentially always in a charged state. A fully charged lithium ion battery ages at a faster rate than a lithium ion battery at the optimum storage capacity of approximately 40. However, keeping an iPod battery near this optimum storage capacity can prove difficult to manage. A lithium ion battery also ages from use, as well as from storage, so the aging effects of constant use of the battery in order to keep the charge closer to 40, versus constant use while attached to external power, come close to being even. A: Because if they did either, the size of the batteries and/or the access panels and mechanisms required to access the battery would make the unit significantly larger than it is, likely by several millimeters in thickness at a minimum, and would also affect other dimensions, as well as weight.
Additionally, the iPods battery is indeed replaceable, as has been discussed above. Q: Is there any way to use an external battery pack, or standard AA batteries? Belkin makes an external battery pack for the dockable iPod that takes 4 standard AA batteries. Battery Tech also makes a high-capacity external rechargable battery . There is also a do-it-yourself kit that allows you to run and/or charge your iPod from standard AA batteries. A: Dells new DJ portable music player uses an integrated, non-user-replaceable lithium ion battery, just like the iPod. Dell also has no plan or program to replace batteries outside of warranty at this time verified by calls to both Dell sales and Dell technical support, 12/03/03. Other music players, such as the Gateway DMP Series, Samsung YP-910GS Napster, iRiver iHP Series, and Rio Karma - all viewed as the only comparisons to iPod that even come close - all use integrated lithium ion batteries sealed inside the enclosure. Q: Apple only released their battery replacement service because of all the bad publicity from iPods Dirty Secret .
Additionally, Apple had been planning the AppleCare programs for months - these types of service programs dont just happen overnight - before Casey Neistat even had his first contact with Apple. The video campaign had nothing to do with Apples rollout of the battery replacement program. Apple products have the lowest incidence of repairs, highest quality, and best support among all manuf...
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