Apple Makes iPhone 16 Batteries Easier to Replace to Comply With EU Law

Apple's internal design changes that improve thermal regulation in the iPhone 16 models also have the added benefit of making the battery easier to access for service, a feature that will help Apple comply with European regulations.

iphone 16 design
In its press release for the ‌iPhone 16‌, Apple confirms that the new internal design better dissipates heat while also making battery service easier.

The internal design of iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus has been reengineered to allow for an even larger battery and to better dissipate heat, while making battery service easier.

Earlier this year, a report from The Information suggested that Apple would introduce a new battery replacement method in the ‌iPhone 16‌ models as required by a new European law. The EU is requiring smartphone manufacturers to make sure batteries can be replaced by users with easily accessible tools by June 2025.

We'll need to wait for a teardown to confirm other battery changes, but The Information's report also said that Apple would use a different type of adhesive that's easier to remove. Apple typically uses adhesive strips to hold the battery in place, and the adhesive is tough to deal with. The new method could involve an electrically induced adhesive debonding technology.

Using low voltage electricity to remove a battery would require a battery encased in metal, and images of an alleged ‌iPhone 16‌ battery with a metal casing leaked late last year. Metal around the battery has the added benefit of improving thermal regulation. These internal battery changes will be able to be confirmed after the ‌iPhone 16‌ models are released.

Apple's mention of an easier to service battery is only in the ‌iPhone 16‌ press release, and not in the press release for the iPhone 16 Pro, so it is not clear if all models have the same battery-related changes. Apple did, however, change the thermal design in both models, with the changes described during the keynote event.

For the ‌iPhone 16‌:

We updated the main logic board, centralizing the chip placement and optimizing the surrounding architecture. We also added a thermal substructure to dissipate heat made from 100 percent recycled aluminum. As a result, the iPhone 16 delivers up to 30 percent higher sustained performance for gaming.

For the ‌iPhone 16 Pro‌:

iPhone 16 Pro maximizes thermal capacity with a new machined chassis made from 100 percent recycled aluminum, which is bonded to the titanium frame using solid state diffusion. It's combined with a graphite clad aluminum substructure, creating an innovative architecture that enables up to 20 percent improvement in sustained performance. This is crucial for efficiently running advanced on device features like Apple Intelligence and high-performance gaming.

On the ‌iPhone 16 Pro‌ product page, Apple also says that it made "back glass optimizations" for further heat dissipation. Apple's ‌iPhone 16‌ page doesn't add much, but says that there's a new internal design for improved heat dissipation.

It is worth noting that the EU law has some exemptions that might be relevant to Apple. Devices with an IP67 water and dust resistance rating that retain 83 percent battery capacity after 500 full charges and 80 percent after 1000 charges do not need to have easily replaceable batteries. Apple's iPhone 15 models meet the criteria for 1,000 charges, and it is likely the ‌iPhone 16‌ models do as well, but Apple has not provided data on the 500 charge requirement. It is worth noting that there are still some requirements that Apple needs to meet even if its iPhones comply with these exemptions.

The EU's battery requirements for smartphones in general:

  • Fasteners shall be supplied or reusable.
  • The process for replacement shall be feasible with no tool, or a set of tools that is supplied with the product or spare part, or basic tools.
  • The process for replacement shall be able to be carried out in a use environment.
  • The process for replacement shall be able to be carried out by a layman.

The EU's battery requirements for smartphones that meet its exemption criteria:

  • Fasteners shall be removable, resupplied, or reusable.
  • The process for replacement shall be feasible with no tool, basic tools, a set of tools supplied with the product or spare part, or commercially available tools.
  • The process for replacement shall be able to be carried out in a workshop environment.
  • The process for replacement shall be able to be carried out by a generalist.

The new ‌iPhone 16‌ models are set to be available for pre-order this Friday at 5:00 a.m. Pacific Time, with a launch to follow on Friday, September 20.

Related Roundups: iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Pro

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Pro Dual Tone Feature 1

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 8 New Features

Thursday January 9, 2025 5:45 am PST by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. iPhone 17 Pro concept based on rumors Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of January 2025: More aluminum: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models ...
HomePod mini and Apple TV

New Apple TV and HomePod Mini Launching This Year With One Thing in Common

Wednesday January 8, 2025 6:18 am PST by
It was recently reported that new Apple TV and new HomePod mini models will launch this year, and the devices are expected to have one thing in common. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman last month reported that the new Apple TV and the new HomePod mini will be equipped with Apple's own combined Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chip. Gurman said the chip supports Wi-Fi 6E, so that could end up being a key upgrade...
iPhone SE 4 Thumb 1

New iPhone SE and iPad 11 Launch Timing Allegedly Revealed by Leaker

Tuesday January 7, 2025 11:12 am PST by
A new iPhone SE and an iPad 11 might be coming very soon. In late December, a private account on X with a track record of leaking accurate iOS-related information said devices codenamed "V59" and "J481" will be released alongside iOS 18.3 and iPadOS 18.3. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has previously reported that "V59" is a new iPhone SE, and that "J481" is a new entry-level iPad. iOS 15.3, iOS ...
M6 MacBook Pro Feature 1

5 Reasons to Wait for Next Year's MacBook Pro

Wednesday January 8, 2025 6:33 am PST by
Apple in October 2024 overhauled its 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models, adding M4, M4 Pro, and M4 Max chips, Thunderbolt 5 ports on higher-end models, display changes, and more. That's quite a lot of updates in one go, but if you think this means a further major refresh for the MacBook Pro is now several years away, think again. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has said he expects only a small...
iOS 18

Apple Releases iOS 18.2.1 With Bug Fixes

Monday January 6, 2025 10:07 am PST by
Apple today released iOS 18.2.1 and iPadOS 18.2.1, minor updates to the iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 operating systems. iOS 18.2.1 and iPadOS 18.2.1 come almost a month after Apple released iOS 18.2 and iPadOS 18.2. The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update. According to Apple's release notes, iOS 18.2.1...
LG UltraFine 6K Display TB5

LG Unveils UltraFine 6K Display With Thunderbolt 5 Support

Tuesday January 7, 2025 3:56 am PST by
LG has shown off a new Ultrafine 6K monitor at CES 2025. The 32-inch display is the first of its kind to support Thunderbolt 5, which Apple introduced late last year with the launch of new Mac mini and MacBook Pro models powered by M4 Pro chips. Details are scant, but we do know that the LG UltraFine 6K monitor (model 32U990A) features a Nano IPS Black panel, delivering a wide color gamut...
airpods pro 2 botw

Hearing a Mysterious Chime From Your AirPods Pro Case? It's a Feature

Thursday January 9, 2025 3:42 pm PST by
If you've been hearing a chiming sound from your AirPods Pro 2 case when the AirPods are charging, it's a feature that Apple added with the launch of Hearing Health last year. In a support guide, Apple says that the AirPods Pro may play a sound every so often while in the case to ensure the microphones and speakers are working as intended. From Apple: To help ensure that your AirPods...

Top Rated Comments

Apple Knowledge Navigator Avatar
17 weeks ago
It’s telling that Apple wouldn’t even do something as ethical and simple as this without being pushed to. Happy, but equally frustrated.
Score: 67 Votes (Like | Disagree)
aaadktda Avatar
17 weeks ago

The internal design of iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus has been reengineered to allow for an even larger battery and to better dissipate heat, while making battery service easier.
So, where are all the people complaining that EU regulation will kill innovation?
Score: 45 Votes (Like | Disagree)
davide_eu Avatar
17 weeks ago

('https://www.macrumors.com/2024/09/11/apple-makes-iphone-16-batteries-easier-to-replace/')

Apple's internal design changes that improve thermal regulation in the iPhone 16 models also have the added benefit of making the battery easier to access for service, a feature that will help Apple comply with European regulations ('https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A32023R1670').



In its press release for the iPhone 16, Apple confirms that the new internal design better dissipates heat while also making battery service easier.Earlier this year, a report from The Information ('https://www.macrumors.com/2024/06/28/new-battery-replacement-method-with-iphone-16/') suggested that Apple would introduce a new battery replacement method in the iPhone 16 models as required by a new European law. The EU is requiring smartphone manufacturers to make sure batteries can be replaced by users with easily accessible tools by June 2025.

We'll need to wait for a teardown to confirm other battery changes, but The Information's report also said that Apple would use a different type of adhesive that's easier to remove. Apple typically uses adhesive strips to hold the battery in place, and the adhesive is tough to deal with. The new method could involve an electrically induced adhesive debonding technology.

Using low voltage electricity to remove a battery would require a battery encased in metal, and images of an alleged iPhone 16 battery with a metal casing leaked late last year ('https://www.macrumors.com/2023/11/20/iphone-16-pro-leak-reveals-redesigned-battery/'). Metal around the battery has the added benefit of improving thermal regulation. These internal battery changes will be able to be confirmed after the iPhone 16 models are released.

Apple's mention of an easier to service battery is only in the iPhone 16 press release, and not in the press release for the iPhone 16 Pro, so it is not clear if all models have the same battery-related changes. Apple did, however, change the thermal design in both models, with the changes described during the keynote event.

For the iPhone 16:

For the iPhone 16 Pro:

On the iPhone 16 Pro product page, Apple also says that it made "back glass optimizations" for further heat dissipation. Apple's iPhone 16 page doesn't add much, but says that there's a new internal design for improved heat dissipation.

It is worth noting that the EU law has some exemptions that might be relevant to Apple. Devices with an IP67 water and dust resistance rating that retain 83 percent battery capacity after 500 full charges and 80 percent after 1000 charges do not need to have easily replaceable batteries. Apple's iPhone 15 models meet the criteria for 1,000 charges, and it is likely the iPhone 16 models do as well, but Apple has not provided data on the 500 charge requirement. It is worth noting that there are still some requirements that Apple needs to meet even if its iPhones comply with these exemptions.

The EU's battery requirements for smartphones in general:

* Fasteners shall be supplied or reusable.

* The process for replacement shall be feasible with no tool, or a set of tools that is supplied with the product or spare part, or basic tools.

* The process for replacement shall be able to be carried out in a use environment.

* The process for replacement shall be able to be carried out by a layman.

The EU's battery requirements for smartphones that meet its exemption criteria:

* Fasteners shall be removable, resupplied, or reusable.

* The process for replacement shall be feasible with no tool, basic tools, a set of tools supplied with the product or spare part, or commercially available tools.

* The process for replacement shall be able to be carried out in a workshop environment.

* The process for replacement shall be able to be carried out by a generalist.

The new iPhone 16 models are set to be available for pre-order this Friday at 5:00 a.m. Pacific Time, with a launch to follow on Friday, September 20.

Article Link: Apple Makes iPhone 16 Batteries Easier to Replace to Comply With EU Law ('https://www.macrumors.com/2024/09/11/apple-makes-iphone-16-batteries-easier-to-replace/')
Thank you EU!
Score: 43 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Sebosz Avatar
17 weeks ago

which increased the cost of producing the iPhones and Apple subtracted new features that was originally planned just to comply with EU.

but that doesn't get talked about. just "bUt MuH CoNsuMeR rIgHtS" bro talk. annoying af.
Why are you worrying about the cost of producing if they cost the same after all?
Score: 32 Votes (Like | Disagree)
SamRyouji Avatar
17 weeks ago
I hereby send my sincerest gratitude to EU. This is a wonderful move from them for us globally to finally enjoying it back.
Score: 29 Votes (Like | Disagree)
aaadktda Avatar
17 weeks ago

No one ever thought of putting in bigger batteries before the EU.
Nice try. Go back and read what people were saying. The end of the world was upon us. The phones would fall apart easier because of the lack of Apple glue and the mechanisms and doodads needed to make the phones serviceable would eat into the precious space and reduce the size of the batteries and eliminate components. Armchair engineers in full swing.
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)