Apple to replace battery on iPhones affected by shutdown bug for FREE

Apple has vowed to fix a technical issue that has seen some iPhone 6s handsets shutting down unexpectedly.

The Cupertino-based technology firm will replace batteries on affected devices.

The issue only affects a ‘relatively small batch’ of the devices manufactured last year, says Apple. The firm will not disclose the exact numbers.

This is Apple’s second iPhone repair program in less than a week after it announced that it will fix the ‘touch disease’ issue blighting many users’ iPhone 6 Plus handsets.

‘Apple has determined that a very small number of iPhone 6s devices may unexpectedly shut down,’ said the tech firm in an onlinestatement.

Apple clarified that the bug was not a safety issue and that it only affects devices within a limited serial number range, manufactured between September and October 2015.

‘If you have experienced this issue, please visit an Apple Retail Store or an Apple Authorized Service Provider and have your device’s serial number checked to confirm eligibility for a battery replacement, free of charge,’ adds Apple.

To prepare handsets for the battery replacement, Apple advises users to back up their data to iTunes or iCloud, turn off the ‘Find my iPhone’ feature and then erase the phone to delete all content and settings.

If the iPhone has any damage, such as a cracked screen, that impairs the replacement of the battery, then this will be need to be resolved first, says Apple, and there may be a fee attached.

The battery replacement itself is free of charge.

For iPhone users who have previously paid to have their batteries replaced because of this issue, Apple is offering refunds.

Apple said that it may limit the replacement scheme to the country where the handset was purchased.

The unexpected shutdown issue doesn’t appear to be limited to any specific region.