I’ve seen a lot of questions lately about Where is the best place to buy a replacement Apple/Other brand battery. The market is indeed saturated with countless brands at widely varying price points, making it difficult for the consumer to discern the true value and quality behind each price tag.
As a battery manufacturer, we have a strong interest in understanding this landscape. To gain deeper insights into the competitive market and formulate our own marketing strategy, and provide useful reference for consumers at the same time.Therefore,We spent two months conducting a detailed market research. We select the four popular battery brands (AMPSENTRIX,iFixit,PINZHENG,XYIRMCYF) from platforms like Amazon, AliExpress, and other websites on the North American market
For selecting batteries, we chose the most popular brand Apple iPhone batteries in the North American market as our research subject. First, here we provide some basic information on the different types of Apple batteries for a learning
Apple batteries fall into two categories: original (OEM) and non-original (aftermarket).The original iphone battery is designed at its headquarters in California and it assigns to battery cell suppliers (such as CATL, BYD, LG etc.) to produce custom battery cells and protection board adopt from suppliers TI (Texas Instruments)which provide iphone’s custom chips.Finally, battery assembly manufacturers (such as Desay, Sunwoda, etc.) to assemble the battery cells, chips, etc. into a complete battery pack.For original battery you can buy from offline apple store and official apple site or find factory for custom produce. For saving the cost,non-original adopt other battery cell supplier protection board and chip suppliers. Most battery on the market all aftermarket battery
In terms of capacity, they are further divided into standard capacity and high capacity. A standard capacity battery matches Apple’s original design, while a high capacity version increases the capacity by 5–20% to meet users’ higher endurance needs.
Since the release of the iPhone XR/XS, Apple has implemented a battery pairing mechanism. This means that if a battery is replaced outside of Apple’s official channels—even if the cell itself is physically original—the system will display a Unknown Parts alert in Battery Health saying “Unverified”. In some cases, the battery health may not be shown at all.
To pass Apple’s verification, replacing a battery requires transplanting and soldering the original protection chip(we call BMS SWAP). This has led to the development of another batteries (battery cell only without BMS Flex), specifically intended for use by professional repair shops.
Last year,Apple had release a new Repair Assistant feature that helps complete the repair process after a part replacement. Then the diagnostic battery came out, all iPhone from 12-16 series which updated to the latest OS can be fixed the unknown parts issue by using the diagnostic battery
The above outlines the current classification of Apple batteries available on the market
And for the model of iPhone battery,we chose iPhone 12/12p high standard capacity which with higher sales volume for the comparison
Now here we go
First,
AMPSENTRIX from Mobile sentrix: the most professional B2B suppliers for phone repair shop
Mobilesentrix offers its iPhone 12 battery high capacity（extended series）at a competitive price of $11.79 USD. It comes with the battery only without any tool kits.Shipping costs to North America are variable, ranging from $3.99 to $12.50, though specific delivery timelines are 2-7 working days. We select the most economic shipping method and it take 4days to arrive, really fast shipping. From its’ official sale page and the physical packaging, we can see that this battery uses a 27546A3 TI gas gauge chip, and it is assembled in China, and has a capacity of 3300mAh and The product is backed by a one-year warranty that covers defects absent physical damage.
Secondly,
iFixit: Most authoritative repair community and parts store,operating a major e-commerce site known for its high-quality repair tools, components, and extensive free repair guides.
· For iPhone 12/12p,iFixit only have standard capacity(2815mAh) version and it is priced at $39.99 USD, the highest in this comparison. All it come with the battery only.Shipping cost is between $6.99(Saver) and $12.99(standard), with a swift delivery time of 3-12 business days.We chose the standard shipping method and get the item within 4 days. However, this higher cost is supported by robust service offerings, including a 30-day return policy and a one-year guarantee. From their website they claim the batteries are Assembled using high quality chip set from Texas Instruments and undergo spot-testing for quality assurance at iFixit’s facility in California, USA.
Third
3. PINZHENG
PINZHENG from AliExpress: PINZHENG is a top sell chinese brand commonly found on AliExpress. Its focus is on offering high-capacity batteries at a low upfront cost.
The PINZHENG battery is attractively priced at $12.34 USD included shipping fee toward US customers. But they only offer one shipping methods and it need around 10-30days to delivery, and we spend 26 days to get the item. The brand offers a one-year warranty with free replacement or refund saying on their product page. From what you see the battery is marketed with a high 3400mAh rated capacity and it come with full repair tool kit though the quality of the tool is so average.
4. XYIRMCYF
Brand Positioning & Platform: XYIRMCYF is another top sell chinese brand distributed via Amazon
The most attractive feature of their iphone 12/12p battery is they claim a crazy high rated capacity of 15,500mAh. But people who work on this industry will know it is totally fault and misleading. Their Priced at $18.99 USD and we go with a flat shipping fee of $6.99(5-7working days),you can also select for a Expedited shipping method which need around $12.99 for 1-2days deliver , XYIRMCYF’s offering includes a 30-day return guarantee and a 12-month warranty.
Finally
Let’s move to our own brand GUPFIX, I won’t introduce ourselves here and if you want to know more about us. You can google it and check from our official website. We positioning ourselves as a value-driven alternative for consumers seeking a balance between cost and featured technology. We provide a happy middle price at $10.00 from our website, with a shipping fee of $6.99 to North America which take around 10-25days to arrive,we only set out the economy shipping methods at these moment but if you need it urgently we can also buy from amazon with a high prices at $25.99. Same as others our warranty policy is comprehensive, featuring a one-year quality warranty and a 30-day return guarantee.
All above information are took from the brand’s website and product page.Based on the initial information we gathered, well-known North American brands such as iFixit and Mobilesentrix do not appear to have a significant advantage over the other Chinese brands. This is mainly because we cannot determine whether their battery design, materials, and performance are truly consistent.
To address this, after receiving sample batteries from all brands, we first used the JCID V1SE programmer to compare the basic battery parameters (primarily battery capacity). For end-user, you can use some app/software like 3utool to test primarily battery capacity.The test results are as follow picture:
Pinzheng’s printed capacity is 3400mAh, while the actual measured capacity is 3318mAh—slightly overstated.
XYIRMCYF, as we initially mentioned, shows an actual capacity of only 3220mAh, which is drastically lower than their advertised 15,500mAh—clearly false advertising.
The other three brands show consistency between their printed and actual capacities.
To further compare the design, materials, and craftsmanship of these batteries, we disassembled all sample and used more advanced equipment for in-depth analysis. Below are the detailed parameter comparison charts.
The test parameters included the battery cell, battery management IC, protection IC, battery capacity, internal resistance, and the soldering quality of the protection board. Below is a brief technical overview of each parameter.
Battery Cell
In the industry, Apple’s primary cell suppliers are widely recognized as LG, ATL, and SONY, whose technology and quality are considered top-tier. Next are other Chinese suppliers, among which ETX, Veken, Ganfeng, and Juxin have the best reputation and the highest adoption rates. Other domestic suppliers vary greatly in both quality and pricing. Their performance must be evaluated case by case. But in general, They’re still behind the leading brands regard of cycle life and consistency.
Gas Gauge Chip/Protection IC
iPhone original batteries’ protection board provide from TI which adopt a discrete IC + MOSFET design to achieve precise overcharge, over-discharge, and over-current protection, while also enabling accurate power calculation, data recording, encryption authentication, and seamless integration with iOS.
By contrast, most domestic solutions integrate the Gas Gauge Chip,protection IC ,MCU and MOSFET into a single chip, forming a standard “protection board.” These designs provide only basic protections (overcharge, over-discharge, over-current, and short circuit). This is also the main reason why aftermarket iPhone battery cannot have unknown parts alert and it require BMS swap.
iPhone original batteries adopt TI Gas Gauge Chip+ST Protection IC/ITM Protection IC. With advanced technology and strong brand influence, TI and ST/ITM offers complete solutions—from chips to software, development tools, and reference designs. While their cost is higher, performance and reliability are fully guaranteed.
Other solutions are third-party “hacks” designed to achieve “pop-up”issue and basic functionality at a low cost. Through reverse engineering or hacking, they mimic the communication and authentication behavior of the original MCU, tricking the iPhone into thinking it’s a “genuine battery,” thus avoiding pop-up notifications.These solutions typically use simple “software gas gauges” that roughly estimate battery level by monitoring voltage, often lacking accuracy compared to TI gas gauges.
Their performance is also evaluated case by case. Hanfeng/Fudan/Taiwan STC are Well-known IC supplier in the industry , which have deeper technical foundations and position themselves as mid-to-high-end MCU suppliers.
New-generation MCU companies, such as Chipsea, whose main focus is domestic substitution. These companies primarily target the mid-to-low-end market dominated by brands like STMicroelectronics (ST) and GigaDevice (GD). With highly competitive pricing and fast service, they provide practical peripheral configurations designed to meet the needs of most common applications at the lowest possible cost. However, their performance and power efficiency cannot match those of the first two categories.
For Protection IC**,**there is lots of suppliers include ITM/ST/Ricoh and so on,while most aftermarket battery adopt chinese brand battery Protection IC for saving the cost。
Internal Resistance
Internal resistance reflects the efficiency and power consumption of the battery. The lower the resistance, the better the performance.
Protection Board Soldering
For soldering quality, the general principle is that the larger the contact area, the better the conductivity and reliability.
From the test results, we found that except for XYIRMCYF—which uses a chinese unknown brand cell—all other brands employ high capacity cells from Ganfeng while iFixit uses standard capacity battery cells.
In terms of battery Gas Gauge Chip, iFixit and Ampsentrix both follow Apple’s original TI solution. iFixit adopts the latest TI-BQ27546, while Ampsentrix’s TI chip generation is unclear(they claim TI-27546A3). Pinzheng uses Chipsea MCU，that’s why Pinzheng can set out a lowest price, whereas XYIRMCYF relies on Hanfeng MCU.And GUPFIX adopt Taiwan STC MCU.
Looking at the protection IC, iFixit is the only one that follow the original design,that is why they set out a high prices. And GUPFIX for the next,using Korea Imported ITM IC. All other brands use chinese brand protection IC.
As for internal resistance, iFixit performs best at 73.0 mΩ, and GUPFIX for the next 75.3mΩ,and while XYIRMCYF shows the weakest performance at 84.3 mΩ. Regarding soldering quality, iFixit and GUPFIX leads with a dual-row, six-point soldering process which are the largest the contact area, whereas the others use single-row layouts with only four to five solder points.
Consumer Purchase Recommendations
Based on all the above information and analysis,we can draw a rough conclusion for your reference:
For Quality and Reliability:
If you have enough budget,iFixit is the best choice for users prioritizing safety, performance, and warranty support, despite its higher price.But they only have standard capacity for iphone battery,so if you need more standby time for daily using you will have to move to other brands
For chasing low price:
Of course, it is obviously, PINZHENG is the best
For Value and Performance:
GUPFIX and Mobilesentrix offers a strong balance of price, capacity, and warranty. It is ideal for cost-conscious consumers seeking reliable performance.But what a shame, Mobilesentrix only do B2B business,so end-user are unavailable. XYIRMCYF is also a choose but they has misleading capacity claims and average performance. Not recommended unless other options are unavailable.
For Time-Sensitive:
iFixit, Mobilesentrix and XYIRMCYF are first choose since they have all series battery in stock on US market,while we GUPFIX have parts of the iPhone series in US warehouse(you can check the specific model on amazon)
All of the above content is original work by GUPFIX.This post reflects our views only. And If there are any inaccuracies or omissions, we welcome feedback and discussion. Please cite the source when sharing or reproducing our content.
By the way, due to our company’s risk control policies, we have not yet listed all iphone battery models on Amazon. However, our plan is to complete the full model within the next year to meet the customers who require fast to get.
With the growing number of models and SKUs, we are also seeking partnerships with local phone repair shops in the U.S. to help us handle product after-sales service (even though our defect rate is only around 1%). Partner repair shops will enjoy City Star Member benefits, including distributor-level pricing as well as exclusive resale rights for products that are not available on Amazon.
If you are interested in working with us, please feel free to get in touch.Thanks for reading. 🙂
If you are the end-user, we now give free sample exchanging for your using expriences review on amazon(only iphone xr/11/se2020/12/12pro/12pro max/13 are available), you can also contact us if you are interested.