Apple will charge good money to change the AirPods battery [atualizado 3x]

The AirPods finally they are on sale and the first users will start receiving them on December 21st. Like all Apple products, the new wireless headphones come with a one-year warranty and, if they have a problem (other than accidental damage or nothing at all), they are exchanged by the company without question.

There is, however, a peculiarity: it is the first pair of wireless headphones from Apple and, consequently, they have a battery. And drums, my friend, something that always comes with polemics no wonder that we have a recall now happening from iPhones 6s. The point I want to get to is that when your AirPods' battery dies (this will happen sooner or later, after all something intrinsic to current battery technology is not just Apple), you'll have to shell out R $ 259 to change them. Of course, if this happens after the warranty period (if it is inside, you are protected).

Outside, the same service will cost $ 49. Comparing the Brazilian and American pages that contain such values, we see that the USA has much more information. In it, it is very clear that the service under warranty or within the extended coverage of AppleCare not charged.

Will we see the emergence of an AppleCare specific to AirPods ?! Or will owners of iPhones with AppleCare automatically have extended coverage also for phones? I didn’t make this list of AppleCare iPhones for nothing; Apple itself did this by listing the AirPods battery replacement values ​​on the page titled Free service prices for iPhone. On the page for the iPad, for example (Brazilian and American), we have information about the Apple Pencil showing that the relationship is genuine.

As the 9to5Mac, Apple does something very similar in offering the extended warranty for AirPorts (Wi-Fi routers) if the user has a Mac with AppleCare as long as the router was purchased up to two years before the purchase of their Mac or during the warranty period. computer.

Everything is still a little hazy and Apple itself should clear up some things over time. Let's go.

Update · 12/15/2016 s 12:06 pm

It didn't take long for more clarifications to appear.

Although AirPods are still listed on the iPhones service page, Apple has now (at least on the American page) separated wireless headphones from iPhones, dedicating a space only for them. L, the company says the following:

If AirPods or the charging case need repair, there will be no charge if the problem is covered by Apple's one-year limited warranty or the Consumer Protection Code.

The warranty covers defective batteries, but does not wear out for normal use. If the capacity of the AirPods battery or charging case decreases over time, you can replace it with a service fee.

If the AirPods or the charging case is damaged accidentally, you may be able to pay a non-warranty service fee. In addition, in the event of loss of an AirPod or cargo case, it is possible to replace the lost item for a fee.

The prices were like this:

Battery service out of warrantyLost
AirPods $ 49 each $ 69 each $ 69 each
Charging case $ 49 $ 69 $ 69

As we can see, Apple charges for replacing the battery for each AirPod unit (left and right side). The reference to AppleCare also disappeared from the page, indicating that we will not be able to extend the AirPods warranty (either by purchasing a specific AppleCare for them or linked to the AppleCare of iPhones).

On the Brazilian page, there are no references yet to changes.

Update II · 12/15/2016 s 18:06

And take changes!

In fact, the R $ 259 is charged by Apple Brazil for those who want to change the AirPod battery (yes, if you want to change the battery on both sides you will have to pay R $ 518) and the charging case even under warranty.

What happens, as we explained in the first update of the post, is the following: the warranty covers a defective battery, but does not cover normal wear and tear; if the user still wants to switch because he thinks the performance of the headphones or the case is too expensive, he has to pay that money.

The out-of-warranty exchange, which costs $ 69 outside, has not yet been converted into reais by Apple in Brazil. But if $ 49 turned into R $ 259, wait, as the next update of this article will not be good

Update III · 1/20/2016 s 12:55

More than a month after AirPod sales began, Apple finally updated the Brazilian page and made available all the necessary information regarding the values ​​here in Brazil:

Battery service out of warrantyLost
AirPods R $ 259 each R $ 369 each R $ 369 each
Charging case R $ 259 R $ 369 R $ 369