Replacing an iPhone battery – worth it?

My battery on my iPhone 3G seems to be getting worse and wondering if anyone has attempted to replace it themselves. I’ve had a look at a video of someone doing it but it always look easier when someone else is doing it!

3G must be pretty old now.

You could try one of the “battery refresh” type apps, which typically involved draining the battery completely then recharging (something you should generally avoid doing in day to day use).

But to be honest you probably just want to stick a new one in.

Or buy a newer phone of course 😉

Current funds are very low so new battery is probably the only option.

Keeping it going is the best idea, but if it ever does break completely there are many modern phones available where changing the battery is quick and easy.

quick google says its about £30 to do, means you’ll be without phone for a few days. Depends how confident you are DIY.

ill let you know next time im in the uk (in 3 weeks) as ill be performing surgery on the missus 3gs – hers is several years old and was second hand so surprisingly its not holding its charge as good as it did …

the question is – where to get a decent reputable battery …

theres plenty on ebay alot advertising an increased capacity – which is tempting , but will it last ?

ive bought a couple off ebay, (various phones) max ive ever paid is about 6 quid iirc, and they all worked just fine.
non iphone tho.

@trail_rat – feeling the same thing, will it last if I get it off ebay?!

I’ve had mixed batteries off ebay for my blackberry. Some wouldn’t keep it going for a day (a ‘genuine’ battery), another is good for 3 days juice (about the same I got out of the phone when the original battery was new). Very hit and miss, I’d not like to take the gamble if I had to solder it in 🙂

Claimed capacities for batteries are bunk – my battery charger tracks actual charge taken and many of the higher capacity AA’s i’ve had (reputable brands) are no better than batteries with a lower claimed capacity.

My experience is that there’s a big variation in quality of Li-Ion/Polymer batteries and most of the ‘non-genuine’ batteries i’ve bought (laptops, NIMH for makita drills, iPod, Nokia/Sony phones) have been significantly worse than the genuine article. They’ve not delivered the charge promised and had a much shorter life than the original items they replaced.

Add to this that there are a lot of fake batteries doing the rounds means trying to save money by buying the real thing cheap is risky.

Personally, I’d take the phone to an Apple store and pay them £50 to do it.

for 50 quid … ill take my chances

phones “tired” not worth replacing battery at 50 quid …

probably just gie it a go

and upgrade at the next Iphone update and give her my 4

could you get a battery ‘jacket’ to give you the power you need?

something like this

http://www.amazon.com/Battery-Jacket-1700mAh-Charger-iPhone/dp/B003L1AH4O

Changing the battery in an iPhone will be a fiddle and a PITA. You pretty much have to rip out all of the boards and screen out of the 3GS to get to the battery on them, so I doubt the 3G will be much easier. Saying that if you’re careful and not ham fisted you can do it.

3G’s are still going for c£100 on eBay and you’d hope for the higher price with a new genuine battery.

I did one yesterday, charged £20 inc a good battery, its a 30 min job

cool, may give it a go. Hopefully I won’t muck it up!

If you cba, i’ll do it for the battery price n return postage

I’ve done it. Maybe as I used a crowbar and a 32mm spanner my phone always seemed to go wrong after that. Now dead.
Pay a geek to do it.