Amid Ongoing Memory Shortages, Tech Firms Should Provide Affordable Battery Swap Solutions
Global smartphone prices have surged by around 20 percent since the beginning of the year, primarily due to sharply rising memory costs. As a result, many consumers are either retaining their existing devices for longer durations or opting for refurbished phones. However, a significant challenge remains: affordable battery replacements are still not widely available from major tech companies.
For example, Apple charges $129 for battery replacement for its latest Pro models, which is $10 more than what older Pro models cost. An older base model, like the 2020 iPhone 12, has a replacement cost of $89, while iPhone Duo batteries come to $229.
This pricing aligns with Apple’s competitors. Samsung, while not prominently displaying replacement costs on its website, reportedly charges between $99 and $129 for out-of-warranty battery replacements. Both Apple and Samsung promote their extended warranty options—AppleCare and Samsung Care+—which include battery replacement services, but consumers must enroll shortly after purchasing their devices. Although DIY options exist through platforms like iFixit, many modern smartphones are not designed for easy self-repair.
While these prices might not seem excessive at first glance, they are significantly higher than what Apple charged previously. In 2018, in response to a scandal involving iPhone throttling, Apple lowered its out-of-warranty battery replacement fee to just $29 for a year—$50 less than its standard price at the time. The number of battery swaps rocketed from an average of 1 to 2 million per year to around 11 million during that period.
Tim Cook, then-CEO of Apple, noted in January 2019 that some customers were opting for battery replacements over upgrading their devices, leading him to revise the company’s revenue projections downward. Although iPhone revenue fell by 15 percent, Cook attributed this decline mainly to an economic slowdown in China as well as the ongoing U.S.-China trade tensions, asserting that low battery replacement costs impacted revenue only marginally.
Since 2018, the prices of smartphones have generally increased, with a notable spike in recent months. The launch of the iPhone 18 Pro and the iPhone Duo coincided with a $100 price increase for the iPhone 17. Similarly, Samsung raised the prices of its S26 phones by $100 shortly after their initial launch, which already featured elevated prices compared to their 2025 counterparts. Even mid-range models like Samsung’s FE line have seen price hikes; the new S26 FE costs more than its predecessors while offering modest improvements.
On a larger scale, American consumers have noticed a decline in purchasing power despite wage increases. Since January 2018, consumer prices have risen by approximately 34 percent. Though average hourly earnings for private-sector employees increased from $26.72 to $29.91 by December 2020, inflation has also surged, negating some of this growth. Recent analyses indicate that median weekly wages, adjusted for inflation, fell about 3.2 percent from December 2020 to December 2025, as average real hourly earnings dipped below pre-pandemic levels.
The reaction of companies like Apple and Samsung to the memory crisis has been less than inspiring, mainly focusing on preserving profit margins through price hikes. For instance, the $100 increase in the iPhone 17’s price reflects a 12.5 percent rise, surpassing the overall inflation rate of about 3.4 percent. Despite the increased complexity of smartphones and climbing production costs, the cost of lithium-ion batteries has actually declined significantly.
Before the current memory shortages, there were already strong sustainability arguments for providing affordable battery replacement options. Given predictions from memory manufacturers like SK Hynix that supply may not meet demand until 2030, it would be prudent for companies like Apple, Samsung, and others to offer economical out-of-warranty battery replacements while these shortages persist.
