Apple is developing a secret plan that could revolutionize its future iPhone models for all of its 1.46 billion users.
The tech giant is reportedly working to make it easier to replace batteries that currently require tweezers and a specialized machine by encasing the power source with metal rather than foil – also known as ‘induced adhesive debonding.’
The swap would let people remove the battery with a small jolt of electricity with a direct current power supply, which is used to test and charge electronics and is widely available for purchase.
The battery update could be added as early as this year in at least one model of the iPhone 16 that’s set to roll out in September and will expand to all iPhone 17 versions next year.
Apple is reportedly working to make it easier to replace batteries that currently require tweezers and a specialized machine to remove
The change to replace iPhone batteries could be introduced in the iPhone 16 that is set to come out in September
Before the iPhone, replacing a battery was as simple as popping off the phone’s back cover with a finger and dislodging the battery before putting a new one in, but today’s Apple phones require specialized tools just to open the back of the device.
‘I’d love to see Apple innovate toward improved reparability,’ Kyle Wiens, CEO of iFixit, a gadget repair website, told 9to5Mac.
‘Glue is the bane of modern device repair, and any strategies that help reverse adhesives are welcome.’
The new technology would allow people at-home to easily remove the battery, The Information reported.
The smartphone batteries are currently held in place with adhesive strips to make them more waterproof and stop water from spreading through the device.
It’s unclear if the new electrically induced adhesive debonding method will provide the same protection.
With standard iPhones, users need to purchase an Apple repair tool kit at the cost of $50 and use the provided tweezers and a solvent to slowly and carefully pull off the adhesive tape.
They will then need to use a specialized machine called a battery press to lock the new battery back in place.
The alternative is to take the iPhone to an Apple technician which will cost roughly $99 for them to remove and replace the battery.
The new technology will encase the battery in metal that can be removed by applying a small jolt of electricity with a direct current power supply which is used to test and charge electronics and is widely available for purchase
IPhone users currently need to purchase an Apple repair kit to replace the battery for $50 or take the iPhone to an Apple technician which will cost roughly $99
iPhone users have complained about how difficult the process is, with one person writing on Reddit: ‘I think, we ALL know Apple’s position on everything they make. Build in redundancy and rip off customers.
‘Either pay an ‘Apple Approved’ engineer to replace the battery at a ridiculously marked up price, or say ‘Sod that’ and fork out for a new iPhone.’
These complaints have continued for years as another person wrote on X in 2019: ‘After 3 years of heavy use, I had to replace the battery of my iPhone SE. Stupid how it’s glued in!
‘Should be a lot easier, as it was with the iPhone 4. I wonder how many people buy a new phone when the battery is down, though it’s just a [$21] spare part. What a waste of resources!’
Apple’s shift comes as EU legislation could require the company to make it easier for users to replace batteries by 2025.
DailyMail.com has reached out to Apple for comment on the update.