AppleCare is slowly becoming more and more useful, with Apple having updated the terms and conditions for AppleCare to include battery replacements for batteries worn down to 80 percent capacity for Macs and iOS devices. Previously, the company only replaced defective batteries.

While reports indicate that Apple changed the terms to say that devices had to have a battery life of 50 percent or less in order to qualify, at the time of this writing, the terms said that batteries had to have a battery life of 80 percent for both Macs and iOS devices.

"Your Apple One Year Limited Warranty or AppleCare Protection Plan includes replacement coverage for a defective battery," says Apple in its terms and conditions for AppleCare. "If you purchased an AppleCare Protection Plan for your Mac notebook with a non-removable battery, Apple will replace the notebook battery at no charge if it retains less than 80 percent of its original capacity. If you do not have coverage, you can have the battery replaced for a fee."

While many suggest that extended warranties are more expensive than they are worth, the updated policy will be especially useful for heavy battery users. Over time, batteries become worn out and cannot hold a charge for as long, which is certainly problematic for those who don't want to carry around their chargers all day.

While Apple likely would have not had to replace many batteries if it did indeed change the terms to say that batteries had to have a capacity of 50 percent or less, given the fact that extended warranty lasts three years, it seems as though the company is willing to go the extra mile for customers. It is almost guaranteed that a battery will be at 80 percent capacity or less by the end of that three-year period.

For those that do not have AppleCare, getting a replacement battery will cost anywhere between $130 and $200 depending on your model of laptop. AppleCare itself costs between $250 and $350 for the entire three years, and coupled with the possibility of any other computer issues, that price looks better and better.

Many Mac computers include batteries that are non-removable, meaning that users cannot simply replace the battery themselves. While many suggest that Apple is doing this to entice more to use AppleCare, the company is also able to make its computers thinner by soldering batteries into the computer. The models with non-removable batteries include the MacBook, MacBook Air, MacBook Pro with Retina display and the MacBook Pro from mid-2009 and later.

Via: Gawker