A worker climbs outside an Apple store in Hong Kong
A worker climbs outside an Apple store in Hong Kong April 10, 2013. REUTERS

It has been a year and a half since the iPhone 5 was first launched. Anyone who purchased the iPhone 5 during that time may now be experiencing shorter than normal battery-life. Studies have shown that batteries, more or less, have a pre-determined life cycle. In other words, after more than a year of constant usage, your fully-charged battery will not last as long anymore. This is more evident for users who use their smartphones heavily.

Smartphones serve as a multi-tasking device for people. People use it for almost anything: calling, texting, internet browsing, time keeping, gaming, streaming, etc. The more usage, the more it drains the battery. The solution is simple; just change or upgrade the battery. Unfortunately, the iPhone 5 is not the easiest smartphone to replace batteries with. It doesn't have that slip and slide feature that you can do with other phones, making it less user-friendly in terms of battery replacement.

For those who want to keep using their iPhone 5 even after 2 years, there is a bit of good news. Apple has recognized the need to provide replacement battery service for its customers. It will cost around $80 dollars, plus shipping, to do so according to Forbes. At least, the life of the phone will be extended and people will not have to go through the trouble of battery depletion.

For those who want a cheaper option, there are cheaper battery replacement kits available through Amazon. The kit includes the battery itself, plus some decent tools to help you open up the phone without damaging it.

According to Business Insider, iPhone 5 owners, who purchased their phones during periods covering September 2012 to January 2013, have the privilege of getting "free" battery replacement from Apple because certain serial numbers that fall within those dates were seen to have been packed with batteries with shorter lives. This is Apple's way of correcting the mistake. If your phone falls into this category, please remember to fully back up your data first before sending it for free battery replacement.