Apple has made the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max batteries bigger, but a small catch is coming down the road. The company has quietly increased the out-of-warranty battery replacement fee for both models to $129 in the US, up from $119 for the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro.
Apple has been steadily increasing battery capacity across generations, and the iPhone 18 Pro continues that trend. The slightly odd part is that battery replacement is getting more expensive at the same time.
That feels particularly interesting because the iPhone 18 Pro is designed to be easier to repair, including Apple’s use of electrically bonding adhesive, while lithium-ion battery costs have also been falling. The replacement fee has already climbed from $99 on the iPhone 15 Pro to $119 on the iPhone 16 Pro and 17 Pro, so the jump to $129 isn’t exactly out of character for Apple.
Still, with repairability improving, one might reasonably expect the cost to move in the other direction. So while nobody is going to complain about Apple squeezing more battery into an iPhone, the extra $10 does make this feel like Apple is trying to squeeze a little more juice out of the customer’s wallet too.
There is one important exception. Customers with AppleCare+ can have the battery replaced at no additional charge once its maximum capacity drops below 80%. Without that coverage, the $129 out-of-warranty fee applies.
Interestingly, Apple still doesn’t list a specific battery replacement cost for the iPhone Duo, so assuming it will match the Pro models would be jumping the gun. But with two batteries inside the foldable, AppleCare+ might be worth considering if the Duo is on the shopping list. As for the 18 Pro and Pro Max, $10 more isn’t exactly wallet-destroying, but it’s another little reminder that going Pro keeps getting a little more expensive.
Are you tired of paying for streaming services you never watch just to get a phone plan feature you actually want? T-Mobile has good news for you! The carrier is rolling out new plans, called T-Mix, in early November to replace its old Experience lineup with a build-your-own perks system called Picks.
The benefits you choose vary from streaming and gaming to food delivery, AI, satellite service, and phone discounts. But if you are satisfied with your existing plan, you can keep it.
Merely days after the iPhone Duo hit the shelves, images of broken screens on the phone started popping up across social media. Until now, it’s been unclear what’s causing the line of defective pixels that appears vertically along the crease, as well as horizontally, on the phone’s inner display.
Apple has finally acknowledged the issue, which has shown up on iPhone Duo units owned by customers as well as demo units in stores. In a statement shared with Bloomberg, Apple says that not all iPhone Duo units are affected and that those that are tend to show the display fault early on. The company added that users who experience problems with their iPhone Duo display should contact AppleCare for a replacement.
Not long ago, Apple treated independent repair like an act of outright hostility. The Cupertino giant locked down parts with serial-number pairing, while repair tools remained firmly out of reach of anyone outside its authorized repair network. More importantly, the company waged a legal and lobbying battle against right-to-repair legislation.
I've covered enough of these fights over the years to know what a shift looks like. That's why what happened in October 2026 genuinely caught me off guard. The day the iPhone Duo went on sale, what may be the most mechanically complex iPhone to date, Apple pulled off a surprising about-face. It published teardown-style repair manuals for a handful of major components.