Apple Says iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus Batteries Can Be Removed With Low-Voltage Electrical Current

[MacRumors]

Apple has confirmed to publications including Engadget that the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus have a new electrically-induced battery removal process.

The batteries use a type of adhesive that can be loosened with low-voltage electrical current, such as from a 9V battery, according to Apple. The battery can then be easily removed from the devices, with this new process considered to be easier than the adhesive pull tabs that are found under batteries in some previous iPhone models.

This news seemingly confirms that the batteries in the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus have metal enclosures, which should be revealed in teardowns soon.

Notably, the electrically-induced battery removal process does not extend to the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max, according to TechCrunch.

It was previously reported that Apple was planning to make the batteries easier to remove in iPhone 16 models to comply with EU law. Apple previously announced that all four iPhone 16 models received an internal redesign for improved repairability and better heat dissipation, but specific details were not known until now.

All four iPhone 16 models launch on Friday.

Article Link: Apple Says iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus Batteries Can Be Removed With Low-Voltage Electrical Current

 

[MayaUser]

did you hear this Samsung? please copy paste on your next models

 

[Apple_Robert]

Wish it included the 16 Pro.

 

[WarmWinterHat]

Spent all of elementary school practicing for this moment.

 

[orbital~debris]

This is an interesting solution.

I love Apple's approach of applying innovation to every part of their products - small software details, hardware interfaces and things like this.

 

[vegetassj4]

me trying to replace the iPhone battery with my homemade step down transformer

 

[krspkbl]

that seems awfully complicated.

there is no reason we can't go back to the way old phones connected batteries.

if they are worried about the battery moving then have it clip in or stick a tiny bit of adhesive but it shouldn't really be an issue... it's not like the battery has any space to move lol. that way all you gotta do is remove the screen and easily pull the battery out.

 

[kemal]

Are they really going to have a couple of electrical contacts where one snaps in a 9V?

 

[840quadra]

Are they really going to have a couple of electrical contacts where one snaps in a 9V?

Not likely.

I would imagine there would be 2 exposed contact points where someone would press down a special connector or wires that would be connected to a 9v battery at the other end.

 

[sw1tcher]

Apple has confirmed to publications including Engadget that the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus have a new electrically-induced battery removal process.

The batteries use a type of adhesive that can be loosened with low-voltage electrical current, such as from a 9V battery, according to Apple. The battery can then be easily removed from the devices, with this new process considered to be easier than the adhesive pull tabs that are found under batteries in some previous iPhone models.

Notably, the electrically-induced battery removal process does not extend to the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max, according to TechCrunch.

This new adhesive makes iPhone 16 and 16 Plus batteries easier to replace than 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max batteries which is why the prices for iPhone 16 Pro an 16 Pro Max batteries went up 20%?

Makes sense.

 

[con2apple]

That damn EU. Instead of investing in camera or battery life, Apple had to make battery replacement easier.

If you're angry about the tiny upgrade, direct your hatred at the European Parliament. This would never have been possible in the States.

/s

 

[Siliconguy]

My first thought;

 

[CarAnalogy]

that seems awfully complicated.

there is no reason we can't go back to the way old phones connected batteries.

if they are worried about the battery moving then have it clip in or stick a tiny bit of adhesive but it shouldn't really be an issue... it's not like the battery has any space to move lol. that way all you gotta do is remove the screen and easily pull the battery out.

The thickness of that phone is a reason. People already complain about weight. Also, that phone is dead if it gets hit with any water.

I get where you're coming from, but I don't think plastic backed phones are gonna fly with the vast majority of people anymore. They could make the back easier to get off, but with all the magnetic charging and fancy stuff in there now, it seems about as easy as it could be. It's going to be more complicated no matter how you slice it because the phone itself is just more complicated now.

As for this glue specifically, it sounds like an improvement if it comes off easily and cleanly, which seems to have been an issue in many teardowns I've seen. With the tiny spaces they're working with, to be able to use a small precise amount helps a lot.

 

[CarAnalogy]

Wish it included the 16 Pro.

I wonder if the 16 Pro battery is better/different so as to not have to meet the easily replaceable requirements. Or if it's just a manufacturing process that wasn't on the Pro line. It does seem like a strange difference. One would think it would be cheaper to pick one way and stick with it.

 

[Apple_Robert]

I wonder if the 16 Pro battery is better/different so as to not have to meet the easily replaceable requirements. Or if it's just a manufacturing process that wasn't on the Pro line. It does seem like a strange difference. One would think it would be cheaper to pick one way and stick with it.

It does strike me as strange. I am sure we will find out next week why, when there is a tear down done. Hopefully, there won’t be the standard adhesive strips.

 

[nt5672]

Can't wait for the Apple response, "You used the wrong 9v battery terminals. Now you need to buy a new phone."

 

[platinumaqua]

I wonder why they don't go with something simpler like gluing the battery to a thin plastic backplate and then screwing that backplate to the chassis to secure the assembly. The whole battery assembly can be lifted off after unscrewing without dealing with adhesives.

 

[thebeans]

Are they really going to have a couple of electrical contacts where one snaps in a 9V?

No

 

[SteveJobs2.0]

that seems awfully complicated.

there is no reason we can't go back to the way old phones connected batteries.

if they are worried about the battery moving then have it clip in or stick a tiny bit of adhesive but it shouldn't really be an issue... it's not like the battery has any space to move lol. that way all you gotta do is remove the screen and easily pull the battery out.

I lived this time and don’t miss it. The phones had loose battery covers, they would feel less solid, have much worse water resistance, etc.

 

[meson]

The thickness of that phone is a reason. People already complain about weight. Also, that phone is dead if it gets hit with any water.

People aren't that concerned with weight, otherwise we wouldn't have phones with delicate glass backs that weigh far more and are far less durable than an aluminum enclosure. Induction coil based charging is a cool idea. I get that people like it, but is completely unnecessary.

Thickness isn't much of a worry either when you see the thickness of people's devices once they add a case to protect the glass back and/or a massive MagSafe battery pack.

It would not be that hard to package a replacement battery adhered to a new aluminum back with a self sealing gasket that can be screwed into place. I'm willing to bet they could even develop a simple torque screwdriver that clicks when the appropriate torque is applied to the screws to ensure proper installation.

If they can solve the problem of DC released adhesive, they can solve a couple much simpler engineering problem. It might just mean that they have to lean on a more industrial design aesthetic than the slab of glass.

 

[Keymaster]

that seems awfully complicated.

there is no reason we can't go back to the way old phones connected batteries.

if they are worried about the battery moving then have it clip in or stick a tiny bit of adhesive but it shouldn't really be an issue... it's not like the battery has any space to move lol. that way all you gotta do is remove the screen and easily pull the battery out.

Remember that phone batteries were like this because battery life was so low that you couldn't get through the day without one. Plus, secret agents had to be able to yank the batteries out to keep people from tracking them. This setup doesn't make sense when batteries can last more than a day and changing the battery is a once in a few years operation...just imagine all the complication and extra bulk required to do this now.

I changed out the battery on my wife's iPhone 6+ back in the day, and ripped the battery cover trying to get it out when the adhesive wouldn't release because the pull tabs broke...that was fun. If this really is as easy as holding a 9V battery against the battery case for a short bit and then lifting it out, that's a huge improvement and impressive engineering.

 

[3xBoom]

OK, I might have been really enjoying my cozy room under the rock, but can anyone enlighten me as to what the hell this is about? I re-read the title again and again, and even read the text below the title and still suffer from a complete disconnect from its content. And while we are here, is this article related in any way to the ongoing battery issues elsewhere in the world?

 

[ifxf]

I wonder why they don't go with something simpler like gluing the battery to a thin plastic backplate and then screwing that backplate to the chassis to secure the assembly. The whole battery assembly can be lifted off after unscrewing without dealing with adhesives.

This probably would not support automating this part of the build process.

 

[I7guy]

that seems awfully complicated.

there is no reason we can't go back to the way old phones connected batteries.

if they are worried about the battery moving then have it clip in or stick a tiny bit of adhesive but it shouldn't really be an issue... it's not like the battery has any space to move lol. that way all you gotta do is remove the screen and easily pull the battery out.

That’s a nice slick apple inspired phone back.

 

[ProbablyDylan]

Bizarre that this is exclusive to the standard models. Surely they would be able to use the same glue for the Pros - they're all aluminum on the inside.