I bought a new iPhone 11 Pro, 256 GB, in 2020. It has worked flawlessly since then. Despite the many bumps and tumbles over the years, it was in very good condition. I always used a protective case and screen. The only issue was the battery life. Battery Health was at 67% (interestingly, after upgrading to iOS 18, the optimized charging improved Battery Health from 64% to 67%). It would stay on for 24+ hours at rest but would only last about two to three hours while watching movies or actively using apps. Most of the time, I just kept it plugged into a charger. So I looked into replacing the battery. I bought a kit from iFixIt for about $40 but I noticed it mentioned Battery Health would not work with the replacement battery and other Internet commentors stated non-genuine batteries could cause inaccurate charges, instability, etc., though I couldn’t find any reliable first-hand accounts of these issues, nor any positive stories using non-genuine batteries. I then looked into getting it serviced through Apple Repair. I wanted same-day service. I first called a couple of Apple stores but I was never able to reach an actual employee working at those stores (by design, I guess). My only option was to make a Genius Bar reservation without knowing whether they actually had the batteries in stock. And the closest Apple stores are more than an hour away. So I instead made an appointment with a local Best Buy which are authorized for repairs. They didn’t have the batteries in stock. I then contacted an authorized, independent repair shop but they didn’t have the battery either. They could order one but it would take several days and I would have to leave my phone with them. Then I found the Self Service Repair site through Apple where you can order genuine Apple parts and do the repairs yourself. The only problem? They don’t carry iPhone 11 or 11 Pro batteries, only 12+. I confirmed this by email. So I decided I would try an Apple store. If they didn’t have the battery, I would just do the repair myself with the kit and/or look into getting a newer model. So I made an appointment online and met with a Genius at 10:15 am and was told they had the battery in stock. It would be ready by 12:45 pm. Great! I wandered the mall for a while, drank a tasty beverage, and got a nice massage in one of those automatic massage chairs — thirty minutes for ten bucks. When I returned to the store, I signed up for a Vision Pro demo and I loved it. I think the tech is worth way more than $3,500. Then I picked up my phone. The Apple specialist reported there was a problem with a “stripped screw” and they couldn’t complete the repair so they were giving me a brand new iPhone. For a moment, I thought it would be the 16 Pro but it was the 11 Pro, 256 GB, in the exact same color. She unsealed the new iPhone and powered it up. Apparently they keep 11 Pros around for these exact situations. I thought about it and since we all have to use Apple sign-in, they probably know how many iPhone 11 Pros are in use, and how many they need to stock at each store, maybe even clustering stock, region by region, depending on the proximity of 11 Pro users. It’s kinda brilliant. I asked if the 11 Pros were available for purchase and they said no. My iPhone was operational so we started the transfer. The new iPhone needed to first update to iOS 18.4.1 which took about an hour. Then the transfer took another ninety minutes, all over Bluetooth, apparently. It was very slow. I asked if they had a lightning-to-lightning cable that could expedite the transfer. They replied it was doable for Macs via cable but not iPhones. Anyway I had to sit there for almost three more hours complaining to myself about my first-world problem. They were apologetic about the wait and let me use their bathroom and water fountain which were really nice. After six hours, transfer complete, data deleting on the old phone, I finally left the store at 4:00 pm. The receipt shows the 11 Pro retail price at $549 with a customer service discount of $460 for a total of $89 plus tax. It took me another couple hours to confirm all the settings, redownload all the apps, and log back in. After a full charge 24 hours ago, I’m currently at 42% with a Battery Health of 100%, aiming to use it until it powers off before charging it again, uninterrupted, to properly calibrate the battery. Everything reported in this post was typed on my new iPhone 11 Pro which I will use for as long as I can, even after Apple drops support. Sometimes your shit do smell good.

This took place in April of 2025 in the U.S.