It’s been a long while since you have gotten your iPod, and maybe you feel its time to ask around about replacement iPod batteries. Maybe you have noticed several battery issues already, and think that battery replacement is the solution.
Apple itself offers an iPod Battery Replacement Program. If your iPod’s battery does not hold electrical charge as well as it used to, or in other words if its battery life has shortened, but is otherwise unharmed, Apple can replace the iPod. There is a service fee of $59, plus $6.95 for shipping.
This option is of course the most reliable choice for battery replacement. The iPod itself is replaced with a new, used, or refurbished unit. The service may not be available; however, if your existing unit has been exposed to accident or abuse and has been damaged because of these.
Availing of this service is easy if you have access to the internet. On the Apple support website, you will find an iPod service request form. After checking and reading the terms and conditions, on-screen instructions will be available to guide you through the rest of the steps in getting your iPod’s battery replaced.
The data and music on the iPod will not be preserved, so it would be best to back the iPod up using iTunes on your computer before submitting it for service. The replacement iPod usually ships back in a week or so - or in two to three weeks if the original iPod had been personalized by Apple (the replacement unit will automatically be personalized with the same text).
Third party replacement batteries are also available. These are usually cheaper than having your iPod replaced by Apple. As mentioned before, if the iPod has been damaged by accident or abuse it may not be eligible for the official Apple service program anymore. These third party solutions would be the only choice in that case.
The iPod’s case was not designed to be opened by users, but these third party batteries usually come with tools and detailed instructions for doing just that. Less tech-savvy users may want to stay away from the do-it-yourself battery replacement options: saving some tens of dollars is well and good, but what if you’re tinkering costs you the iPod itself?
These users might want to inquire about the unofficial services available that would replace their iPods’ batteries for them, at about two-thirds of Apple’s price. These services also usually do not replace the actual iPod unit, but only the battery, unlike Apple’s service.
Whether you have Apple replace your iPod battery (and your iPod itself) or purchase instead replacement iPod batteries from a third party manufacturer, good care will prolong the life of your new batteries. Guides to the proper charging and use of these batteries are available in Apple’s own support documentation, as well as in other places on the internet.
http://www.frozenipod.com/2007/ipod-replacement-batteries/#more-29
