Mon Jan 12 2026, 06:27 AM EST · 1 minute read

Apple’s iPhone 13

Apple is claimed to have announced a half-price battery replacement service for iPhone 13 users in China.

When it first came out, the iPhone 13 range and in particular the iPhone 13 Pro Max was said to be Apple’s undisputed battery life champion. According to China’s City News Service, however, there have subsequently been worldwide reports of battery swelling or performance degradation.

That claim has not been verified, but the publication says that consequently Apple has announced a program to offer users in China a half-price battery replacement on any model of the iPhone 13 range. The program is said to have launched on January 7, 2026, and will run until April 30, 2026.

Specifically, the report says in local currency the cost is cut from 729 yuan to 399 yuan. That equates to a cut from $104.30 to $57.10.

In the US, replacing any iPhone 13 model costs $89, unless covered by AppleCare.

There is as yet no mention of this program on Apple’s Chinese website and its battery replacement support pages. The on-site cost estimate says the charge for replacing any iPhone battery is 729 yuan (around $100).

Reportedly, however, users will get the discounted rate if they go ahead with the replacement at participating authorized service centers. There is no indication of which service centers are participating.

There is also no indication whether this means Apple’s own service centers are or are not in the program. The claim, though, is that it is Apple itself that has launched this offer, although currently no other sources are reporting this.

Separately, back in September 2024, Apple hiked the price in the US for replacing batteries in the iPhone 16 Pro models. Those are $119 instead of $99, and the price is now the same for the iPhone 17 Pro models, and the iPhone Air.