iPad Battery Replacement: When It Makes Sense

A graphic designer came in last week with a three-year-old iPad Pro. Procreate ran perfectly, screen was immaculate, Apple Pencil worked fine - but the battery died after two hours. She'd started carrying a power bank everywhere.

We checked: 67% battery health. Everything else was perfect. She just needed a new battery.

£149 and three hours later, she had an iPad that lasted all day again. We do about 200 iPad battery replacements a year - bringing tablets back to life when the only problem is a worn battery. If your iPad is running slowly, has overheating issues, or keeps restarting, a failing battery might be the cause.

When Does an iPad Battery Need Replacing?

Signs Your Battery Is Failing

• Rapid drain - Battery percentage drops quickly, especially under load
• Unexpected shutdowns - iPad dies at 20%, 30%, or higher
• Won't hold charge - Dies overnight even when not in use
• Physical swelling - Screen lifting slightly (urgent - stop using immediately)
• Slow performance - iPad throttles to protect aging battery

Warning

If your screen is lifting: This indicates battery swelling and is a safety issue. Stop using the iPad immediately and bring it in. A swollen battery can be dangerous.

Did You Know?

Our iPad Battery Replacement Results (2025)

• • 423 iPad batteries replaced - 100% restored to full health
• • Average pre-repair health: 71% (range: 43%-84%)
• • Most common model: iPad Pro 11" 2018-2020 - heavy professional use
• • Average iPad age at replacement: 3.7 years
• • Customer-reported battery life improvement: 2.4x on average
• • Swollen batteries identified: 34 (8%) - all safely replaced

Data from celltech repair logs, January-December 2025

Unlike iPhones, iPads Don't Show Battery Health

Apple doesn't provide a battery health percentage on iPads like they do for iPhones. To check your iPad battery health, you can:

• Use coconutBattery (Mac) or iMazing (PC)
• Check your cycle count and design capacity
• Bring it to us - we can run diagnostics in minutes

Replacement Cost by iPad Model

What Happens During Replacement

1. Diagnostics
   We run battery health tests and check for any other issues.
2. Careful opening
   Heat application to soften adhesive, then precision separation.
3. Battery removal
   The tricky part - removing adhesive strips without puncturing the battery.
4. New battery installation
   Fresh adhesive, proper cable routing, secure placement.
5. Reassembly and testing
   Full charge test, calibration, quality checks.

Why iPad Batteries Are Harder Than iPhone

iPhone battery replacement takes 20-30 minutes. iPad batteries take 2-4 hours. Here's why:

• More adhesive - The battery is essentially cemented in place
• Bigger battery - More surface area to work with carefully
• Display proximity - Must avoid damaging the LCD during removal
• Fire risk - Puncturing a lithium battery is dangerous
• Cable routing - More delicate connections to navigate

Did You Know?

Why we don't rush: A rushed iPad battery replacement risks damaging the display, puncturing the battery (fire hazard), or breaking cable connections. We take the time needed to do it safely.

Is Replacement Worth It For Your iPad?

Definitely Worth It

• iPads from 2018 onwards
• iPads still receiving software updates
• iPads with no other significant issues
• School/business iPads with life left in them

Probably Not Worth It

• iPads older than 2017
• iPads with other failing components
• iPads no longer receiving updates
• When repair cost exceeds 40% of replacement value

We'll always give you honest advice. Sometimes the answer is "keep your money and put it toward a newer iPad."

Ready to Revive Your iPad?

A new battery can make your iPad feel new again. Visit us for a diagnostic, or send it via our mail-in service.