Originally Posted By: mlord
https://www.apple.com/iphone-battery-and-performance/

... nice to reduce the battery costs ...

[EDIT] Perhaps I found the wording in the Apple press release to be a bit confusing, and they may have instead meant that everybody gets the cheaper costs UNTIL the end of 2018. [/EDIT]

My take is that Apple is ‘doing the right thing’ here. Clarity, humility, and rather fair pricing on new genuine Apple batteries, installed and with an Apple battery warranty. This may cut into aftermarket replacement battery sales.

Aftermarket batteries may be of lesser quality and creating their own issues for Apple’s reputation, especially if they impair ongoing iPhone reliability more than a genuine Apple battery.

While the current policy statement says the battery replacement discount runs until end of 2018, Apple may well create an ongoing ‘discounted’ battery replacement program. It would engender goodwill and ensure the average ‘older’ iPhone continues to perform well and reinforce the brand.

Very recent models of iPhone (8, X) have had significant increments in stated run time over iPhone 6 or even 7. Apple may be increasing baseline battery stamina in part to further delay onset of performance reductions driven by battery aging.

Originally Posted By: A Message to Our Customers about iPhone Batteries and Performance
Apple is reducing the price of an out-of-warranty iPhone battery replacement by $50 — from $79 to $29 — for anyone with an iPhone 6 or later whose battery needs to be replaced, starting in late January and available worldwide through December 2018.

Details will be provided soon on apple.com.