Chosen Solution
I did not notice a problem at first, as my phone is always in a case, but I took the phone to my local Genius Bar for help diagnosing poor battery life, and we discovered the battery was starting to swell. They were offering to replace the entire phone for $100.
The tools necessary to replace the battery will take around a month to arrive. Do you guys think I have that long, or is the battery likely to expand enough to split my phone completely open and/or cause severe damage to my screen?
Sam, just go to a reputable local repair shop. They will replace your battery in 30 minutes and charge you less than what it will cost you to buy a battery and tools, pay shipping and brokerage fees. Getting batteries into Canada right now is a PITA. I do it because I buy a whole bunch to soften the blow of the extra costs but for individuals, it just doesn’t make sense any more. I charge 49$ CAD for a full battery replacement (you can check my profile) and I use iFixit batteries, arguably among the best available on the market. I may not be local for you but I’m sure you can find the same wherever you are. Also, be wary of shops that do this kind of stuff for 20-30$. There’s no way they can offer that price and buy high quality batteries.
Sam Wilkins if you cannot wait, get it replaced. A lot of times you can minimize the swelling by no longer charging the phone, which you should not be doing anyway. Keep the phone in a safe, cool place. Plastic container in the fridge would be a decent thing. That would of course mean that you cannot use it until you get the battery removed.
You can buy the battery, pentalope screw driver, 000 screw driver, isasemo and a spudger from ifix it and use this guide iPhone 6 Battery Replacement. you can remove the vibrator to get more clearance. just don’t pull the tabs up towards the ceiling and away, you want to pull the tabs and keep pulling and be horizontal as possible like you are following the top part of the workspace. Please put back the same screw from the same hole it came out of. study the guide afew times before doing the repair and you will have a good running phone again.
