After a number of iPhone 5 users complained they were seeing low battery life, Apple has announced it will offer a second replacement program, this time for batteries, for the mobile device.
It had previously replaced the sleep/wake button on a number of models in April.
Apple says the number is a "very small percentage of iPhone 5 devices" which are seeing poor battery life, but it is also attempting to get ahead of any larger debacle over frustrations from users over the battery's performance.
The result of the poor battery performance is that many users have reported the need to frequently charge the device to maintain its functionality.
Users can go onto Apple's website and discover if the iPhone 5 they purchased between September 2012 and January 2013 is among those devices affected by the "recall." Using the phone's serial number, a user can determine if their device qualifies for a battery replacement.
To get the device repaired, a user can take the phone to any Apple Store, authorized dealer or send it to Apple Technical Support.
But before sending off the device, make sure the screen is not cracked and the phone is still in pretty solid shape. According to Apple, a cracked screen can cause more problems than just the display as it said it could affect the battery. Therefore, the company won't be replacing any batteries unless the screen is fixed. Apple is willing to do that as well, but it won't be free of charge.
Users whose device is eligible for the replacement, yet who had already paid for the battery fix, will be able to receive a refund. The program will run through the end of February 2015, and does not extend any warranty for the device.
Some analysts argue that despite the battery replacement option, with the launch of the iPhone 6 as soon as next month, iPhone users may simply want to skip the option and prepare for the next-generation iPhone. The new iPhone is expected to have 4.7- and 5.5-inch display screens, Tech Times reports.
There are high expectations for the new iPhone as Apple has failed to introduce any new and truly innovative products in recent times.
If Apple can deliver on its new iPhone 6, it should be the impetus it needs to rekindle its smartphone sector, which has been overtaken by Samsung. The company has been forceful with its upcoming product releases, with Senior VP Eddy Cue launching speculation ahead of the Worldwide Developers Conference held earlier in June in San Francisco.
"Later this year, we've got the best product pipeline that I've seen in my 25 years at Apple," Cue said at the time.
