Apple battery recall - The Cupertino company is once offering free replacements for its iPhone 5 batteries that were discovered to be defective.

Several tech sites reported that under the Apple battery recall announcement, customers who purchased their iPhone 5 between September 2012 and January 2013 are eligible for a free battery replacement of their device.

Apple's battery recall started after the company's discovery that some iPhone 5 units "may suddenly experience shorter battery life or need to be charged more frequently." The exact number of devices with defective batteries is not known, Forbes reported.

Owners of iPhone 5 can check the Apple battery recall eligibility of their device by inputting their phone's serial number - found under Settings > General > About of the device - at the iPhone 5 Battery Replacement Program website.

Apple's battery recall program offers free replacement of defective iPhone 5 batteries at Apple Retail Stores and Apple Authorized Service Providers. Refunds are also offered to eligible iPhone 5 owners who have already paid for battery replacement. They will have to contact Apple Technical Support to receive their refunds. The replacement program is exclusive only to iPhone 5 and does not cover the iPhone 5C or the iPhone 5S.

Those eligible handsets with damages that could hinder proper battery replacement (cracked screens, etc.) will have to be fixed first - at the expense of the owners - before they can avail the free changing service.

Owners of iPhone 5 are advised by the company to back up their data using iTunes and iCloud before they avail the Apple battery recall in stores. It is also strongly recommended to turn off the "Find My iPhone" app, according to Telegraph.

Apple's battery recall program has already started in the U.S. And China on August 22, however, it is yet to launch on August 29 in other countries, Daily Mail has learned.