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Apple may owe you $50 if you replaced an iPhone battery early

You could get $50 back if you paid for an out-of-warranty battery replacement.

Gordon Gottsegen CNET contributor
Gordon Gottsegen is a tech writer who has experience working at publications like Wired. He loves testing out new gadgets and complaining about them. He is the ghost of all failed Kickstarters.
Gordon Gottsegen
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An aging battery could be slowing down your iPhone.

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Apple is currently offering $29 iPhone battery replacements, but if you paid full price ($79) for an out-of-warranty replacement before Apple discounted its rate, you may get your $50 back.

Apple announced that it's giving $50 refunds to customers who paid full price for an iPhone battery replacement, for iPhone 6 or later, at an authorized Apple store between Jan. 1, 2017, and Dec. 28, 2017. This brings the price down to $29, which is the same it would cost to get a replacement now.

The refund applies around the world: see details for the UK and Australia here.

Apple says the refund will be issued through an electronic funds transfer or as credit on the card that paid for the battery replacement. Customers who are eligible for the refund should hear from Apple through email between May 23 and July 27 on how to obtain the credit.

Watch this: Here's how to replace the battery in an Apple iPhone 6S

In December 2017, Apple admitted that it was throttling speeds on older iPhones in order to prevent unexpected shutdowns. Not everyone was happy to hear their iPhone was being artificially slowed. As a remedy, Apple lowered the price of its battery replacements to $29.

The new price took effect in December, but by then people had already paid full price for a new battery. Back in February Apple said that it would partially refund these people. This latest announcement tells us how Apple plans to follow up.

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