Office Depot & OfficeMax has just the thing for iPhone owners who can't have Apple replace their batteries soon enough: a $27.99 aftermarket battery replacement.
Down from $49.99, that's the new fee until Feb. 4, and it's even cheaper by a buck than the Cupertino brand's $29 service.
The Specifics
This news comes from Mac Rumors, where the Office Depot & OfficeMax told the news outlet about the whole deal.
Now aside from the pricing, there are a couple of things you should know.
First off, it covers more iPhone models than Apple, such as the iPhone SE, iPhone 5c, iPhone 5s, iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus, iPhone 7, and iPhone 7 Plus.
Second, you'll get a one-year warranty on your battery replacement from the company.
Third, the office supply retailer will provide same-day battery replacements, but in the event that it fails to do so, it'll provide a repair discount of $25.
Fourth, and probably the most important thing to keep in mind, is that Office Depot & OfficeMax is not a part of the Apple Authorized Service Providers. In other words, the batteries you're going to get won't be from Apple itself, and your iPhone's warranty can be void if it's equipped with an aftermarket battery.
That said, iFixit explains that third-party service shouldn't void the warranty, except if the manufacturer can prove that the device was damaged as a result of it. Put differently, your iPhone's warranty should be safe if Office Depot & OfficeMax doesn't damage anything during the battery replacement process.
Why Go For It?
Saving $1 off an iPhone battery replacement isn't much, and it's definitely not worth choosing a third-party service provider over an authorized one or an Apple Store.
However, the problem is that Apple isn't exactly carrying enough batteries to go around. To be exact, there's a supply shortage on batteries for the iPhone 6 Plus, and owners of the model will have to wait until at least late March to get a replacement.
Another possible issue here is if there aren't any nearby Apple Stores or authorized service providers in your area. That's assuming there's an Office Depot & OfficeMax near you, though.
If none of these options work for you, you can always do it yourself with iFixit's replacement kit, which comes bundled with everything you need, including comprehensive instructions and tools.
The Bottom Line
One last thing: If you haven't been keeping up with the news, then you might not know why almost every iPhone owner out there is getting a battery replacement. That's because Apple has just admitted that it's throttling iPhones with degrading batteries, which is to avoid random shutdowns.
At that, it's important to determine whether or not you need to replace your iPhone's battery. The best way is to go to an Apple Store and have an Apple Genius check it out, but you can do a quick diagnosis yourself with our handy little guide.
