Apple has begun replacing iPhone 5 batteries after finding that a small group of them with cer may suddenly need to be charged more frequently or may not hold a charge. The affected units were sold between September 2012 and January 2013. To find out if your iPhone 5’s battery needs to be replaced, go to this support page and punch in your iPhone’s serial number (which you can find by going into Settings > General > Serial Number. If yours is eligible, you can take it to an authorized reseller or an Apple Store to get a replacement battery installed.
According to the iPhone 5 Battery Replacement Program website, U.S. and China residents will be able to get their batteries replaced starting on August 22, 2014. People in other countries will be able to do so starting August 29, 2014. All phones will be examined prior to the replacement to ensure that they are qualified and in good working condition. Apple recommends that everyone back up all iPhone data to iTunes or iCloud, turn off Find my iPhone, and then erase all data and settings in Settings > General > Reset > Erase all Content.
Anyone who had a battery affected by this issue and needed to replace it at cost prior to this recall should contact Apple for a refund.
