Apple is already in trouble with its $29 battery replacement program, as iPhone 6 Plus owners will now have to wait several weeks before they can avail the offer due to a supply shortage.
The new development adds to the growing list of headaches for Apple involving iPhone batteries, which includes lawsuits, lost iPhone sales, and evacuated Apple Stores.
Apple Runs Out Of iPhone 6 Plus Batteries
In late December, Apple confirmed speculations that it was throttling iPhone performance, which the company said was necessary to make degraded batteries last longer and prevent random shutdowns. As an apology, Apple lowered the price of iPhone battery replacements for the iPhone 6 and later models from $79 to $29.
However, it appears that Apple was not prepared for the influx of customers who wanted to have new batteries for their older iPhones. Stocks of batteries for the iPhone 6 Plus, in particular, have apparently run out, according to an internal document from Apple that was acquired by MacRumors.
The document, which was distributed to Apple Stores and the company's authorized service providers, revealed the short supply for iPhone 6 Plus replacement batteries. Customers in the United States, as well as in other regions, who want new batteries for their iPhone 6 Plus will be forced to wait until late March or early April.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the iPhone 6 Plus is not the only iPhone model participating in the $29 battery replacement program that is facing supply issues. Apple also noted a waiting time of about two weeks for iPhone 6 and iPhone 6s Plus batteries.
The batteries for the iPhone 6s, iPhone 7, and iPhone 7 Plus, and iPhone SE are still available for most countries. A source from an authorized service provider for Apple told MacRumors that in a recently received package with replacement batteries, most were for the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus.
Apple's Problems Over iPhone Batteries
Apple is currently facing a bevy of lawsuits for the iPhone throttling controversy, one of which is seeking almost $1 trillion in damages. On top of any damages it might have to pay, Apple also stands to lose about $10 billion in iPhone sales due to the battery replacement program. This is because customers may opt for a new battery instead of upgrading to a new iPhone model.
The battery replacement program itself is not going as well as planned. There have already been two reported incidents of Apple Stores being evacuated due to smoke coming from an iPhone battery. An iPhone 6s Plus battery overheated in an Apple Store in Switzerland, while an iPhone battery was said to have exploded in an Apple Store in Spain.
