Apple’s radical iPad battery guarantee
Apple has announced that they will swap out any iPad with a failed battery for a brand new Apple tablet for just a $99 fee, perhaps hoping to silence critics of possible battery problems in its newest mobile system.
With a lot riding on the acceptance of the iPad, Apple is taking pains to provide answers for any critical questions being asked of their new tablet. Two of those questions have concerned the battery. First, critics have asked if the battery life will be long enough to get through an entire day with no recharge. Second, they have asked if building a tablet with a battery that could not be replaced was a good move for the consumer. Apple’s announcement is probably intended to take the wind out of these questions and also to show their own confidence in their battery technology, according to an Information Week story.
The first question is a little disingenuous. There are very few laptops available that will run a full business day without being plugged in for at least part of that time. To expect a system that appears to be targeted more for recreational than business use to outperform business oriented laptops does not seem quite kosher. Steve Jobs did say during the announcement of the iPad that battery life for the unit would be 10 hours, better than almost any laptop.
The second question is a good one. If the battery fails in your iPhone or iPad Touch, there is not much that you can do about it. You need a new one. Apple has said that their batteries last longer because they are wired into the devices that they power, but there does not seem to be a lot of available proof of that theory. It is silly, and most non-green, to have to discard a working iPhone because its battery will no longer hold a charge, let alone an iPad.
Still, the iPad replacement-for-a-small-fee idea is a good one to circumvent the problem, and will probably mollify many potential purchasers, if not all of the critics. Should we all start holding our breath now in advance of Apple starting a similar program for the iPhone and iPod Touch?
Related Posts:
March 15th, 2010
Your writing is BORING.
March 15th, 2010
It’s a good idea only if you accept the premise a device like this should have a non-swappable battery in the first place. It only circumvents the issue if you have battered spouse syndrome. This is a terrible idea.
I can buy a battery for my laptop for around $50. I travel a lot and it’s pretty handy. I was tearing around South Florida last month enjoying the usual stuff we have going on when we host a Super Bowl. I couldn’t imagine not being able to have spare batteries for my camera and phone, especially since I was tethering my phone to my Netbook.
It’s hard to understand Jobs non-swappable obsession. It forces unnecessary compromises. Like a slow processor, no multitasking, no camera etc…
I was discussing the issue with someone last week who made the same point as the author about laptops not running for 10 hours either. I said it’s a moot point because even if it only lasts 7 hours, a second battery gives me 14 hours. It’s not disingenuous. I can use my device for 14 hours before needing to plug it in. You have zero options and less flexibility.
There is no reason to be without the use of a device like the iPad over this and $99 isn’t a small fee.
March 15th, 2010
So let me get this right. I get to pay over Aus $100 if my uberpads battery fucks up? What are those munchkins at Cupertino snorting?
March 16th, 2010
What kind of moron can raise “critics of possible battery problems” about a product that is not yet available ?
July 17th, 2010
“It is silly, and most non-green, to have to discard a working iPhone because its battery will no longer hold a charge.”
Please tell me you’re joking. When the battery wears out you replace the battery. You don’t throw away the phone.