Apple has introduced significant repairability improvements with the iPhone 16 lineup, particularly with a new battery removal process in the base iPhone 16. Instead of the traditional pull tabs, the company is now using an adhesive that debonds when exposed to a low electrical current.
iFixit has demonstrated this in a teardown video, showing how a low-voltage current is applied to release the adhesive, allowing the battery to cleanly pop out of the phone’s chassis. This new method simplifies the removal process considerably.
In previous iPhones, batteries were secured with regular glue and required the use of four pull tabs to remove. This method was often tricky and if the pull tabs failed, tools were then required to pry the battery out, which risked damaging the battery and causing a potential fire hazard.
The new electrically-activated adhesive eliminates these risks. Now, all that’s required is simply attach alligator clips connected to a power source, and the iPhone battery is released without any manual effort. According to Apple’s repair guide, the process takes just a minute and a half to complete.
However, this feature is limited to the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus, which have earned a 7/10 score on iFixit’s repairability score. The iPhone 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max still use pull tabs, although their battery cells are now encased in a new metal enclosure.
(Source: iFixit)
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