Smartphone owners! You know the frustration of s-l-o-w phone performance, especially as a phone ages. But what if you knew your phone issues were your phone maker’s fault?
If you’re an owner of an iPhone, you probably have heard about Apple recently coming under fire for slowing down the performance of some iPhone models.
In a nutshell, Apple did it to prevent the phones from abruptly turning off, but they weren’t transparent about it (grrrr). In fact, though this started happening in 2016, Apple said nothing to their customers about it until late 2017, after third-party engineers had independently investigated and determined what was going on (and lots of iPhone customers were getting cranky).
As a result, Apple sent out a statement apologizing and attempting to make it right by dropping the price of out-of-warranty batteries for the affected iPhones from $79.99 to $29.99.
However, now there was a new problem – due to the sudden demand, if you go to the Apple store to replace your iPhone battery, the wait could be WEEKS or even MONTHS!
What a headache for anyone with any of the affected iPhones: iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus, iPhone SE, iPhone 7 and the iPhone 7 Plus.
So what do you do if you have one of these IPhones and don’t want to wait?
Thankfully, there’s a FANTASTIC option here in Minnesota that many people don’t know about.
It’s called Device Pitstop, a repair store and refurbished electronics retailer in Maple Grove and Minnetonka where you can buy, sell and repair all your devices for less. I introduced them here last year – actually, they’ve been around for a few years but I can’t believe I didn’t know about them sooner.
Well, in response to the long lines, delays and frustrations at Apple Stores, Device Pitstop is matching Apple’s price of $29.99 (discounted down from $79.99) to replace iPhone batteries (models 5, 5c, 5s, 6, 6+, 6s, 6s+). Unlike the Apple store – Device Pitstop has comparable batteries in stock and does not require an appointment. And like Apple, Device Pitstop offers a 90 day warranty on all batteries.
So I visited Device Pitstop of Maple Grove this past week to learn more, and met with owner Teresa Swenson and one of their team members, Jake.
Since this iPhone battery issue began, Device Pitstop has been experiencing an uptick of 10 TIMES the normal volume of iPhone battery replacements. Yet they are still well-stocked – and can get your new battery installed in 1-1/2 hours, MUCH less time than Apple is promising.
Wondering if you need a new phone battery?
Device Pitstop has a really cool, detailed process for testing any phone battery. They have two programs that do the testing – Cellbie (which works for all phones) and Coconut (which just tests iPhones).
I watched as Teresa had her iPhone tested. It was newer and in great shape, but if if there were any issues they would show up pretty quickly in the results.
I have a Samsung Galaxy phone, and with Cellbie they were able to do 96 diagnostic tests including 28 battery tests in just a few minutes! I watched as it maximized my phone’s brightness and vibration during the tests. Thankfully my phone passed most of the tests and didn’t need a new battery (yet), but how nice to be able to know this! But when I do need a new battery, I know they would be able to replace it same day and at an affordable price.
However, I have noticed my phone’s battery not holding a charge as well as it used to, so I asked the team at Device Pitstop Maple Grove how to extend my phone’s battery. They shared with me a few tips, including:
- The biggest battery drains are Facebook (with its many notifications) and your phone’s GPS, so turn these off when not in use
- Reduce your screen’s brightness, and your screen’s lockout time to 15 seconds so it doesn’t sit idle long wasting the battery
- Of course, don’t put more apps on your phone than you need
All the more reason not to share your phone with your kids, right? Actually, I talked to Paul (below) who said that with kids, if you’re going to give them a device to play games, watch videos on, etc., the most frugal way to do so is to buy a used, refurbished device for them. It’s going to work as well as new, but will cost you less. (This way if it gets damaged or lost, you won’t be as upset!) As a frugal mom, of course, I totally agree that used is often a better option, especially when it comes to stuff for the kids (clothes, sports equipment, toys – why not devices?).
And Device Pitstop always has many used, refurbished devices in stock, including phones, tablets (like iPads) and laptops!
What questions do you have about your phone or other device? The team here will answer all your questions – they’re there to help!
More info about Device Pitstop of Maple Grove and Minnetonka:
- Device Pitstop has gotten top-notch reviews on all the sites from Google to Facebook to Angie’s List. Check them out!
- Device Pitstop of Maple Grove is open 7 days a week and is conveniently located just off the Weaver Lake Road Exit on I-94 in Maple Grove. Address is 13732 83rd Way N, Maple Grove, Minnesota 55369.
- Device Pitstop of Minnetonka is also open 7 days a week and is located at 13023 Ridgedale Dr, Minnetonka, MN 55305.
- Visit their website for info and some tips about iPhone repairs.
- They also sell refurbished iPhones!
EXCLUSIVE COUPON!
Save 15% off any service, 10% off any accessory or get a FREE charging cable at the Maple Grove location! (YES – save more on the $29.99 iPhone battery replacement!) No expiration. Click on the image below to open the coupon in a new window and print or show on your phone!!!
(Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Device Pitstop of Maple Grove. However, all opinions are 100% mine.)
