Apple is developing a new technology to facilitate battery replacement in iPhones, according to The Information. This initiative arises in response to the imminent legislation of the European Union that could require companies to make device batteries more accessible and replaceable by the user.
A new fastening system that eliminates glue
As far as we know, Apple is exploring the use of an “electrically induced adhesive detachment” technology for battery replacements. Currently, the process of replacing an iPhone battery requires the use of tweezers to remove the existing battery, which is attached with adhesive strips. Then, the strips must be replaced with new ones and the new battery must be glued in place.
The new technology promises to significantly simplify this procedure. Apple plans to use metal to coat the new batteries, which would allow us to remove it from the chassis by applying a small electrical discharge to the battery.
Making the battery of all our devices accessible has several drawbacks. It has implications on the device’s resistance to dust and water or the ease of turning off a lost phone to prevent it from being located, something that is currently not possible since the battery continues to power location services even when the phone is turned off—there are many questions.
Being able to replace the battery easily is indeed interesting, but the compromises in day-to-day life, even in reducing its capacity in exchange for a thicker coating that is safer for the user, do not necessarily compensate for this convenience.
That being said, the simplification of the replacement, whether it is done at an Apple Store or an authorized Apple provider, is really interesting. Today’s information coincides with what was published in May by Ming-Chi Kuo, who reported that the battery of the iPhone 16 Pro will have a metal casing for the first time.
Thus, it could reach only a few iPhones in 2024 and expand to the rest of the range in 2025. For now, we will have to see how the regulations evolve, if they come into effect, and how Apple develops this new technology.
