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

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

iphone 16 design
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.

Related Roundup: iPhone 16
Buyer's Guide: iPhone 16 (Neutral)

Popular Stories

2024 iPhone Boxes Feature

Apple Changes Trade-In Values for iPhones, iPads, Macs, and More

Thursday January 16, 2025 6:45 am PST by
Apple today adjusted estimated trade-in values for select iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch models in the U.S., according to its website. Some values increased, while others decreased. The changes were not too significant, with most values rising or dropping by $5 to $50. We have outlined some examples below: Device New Value Old Value iPhone 15 Pro Max Up to $630 U ...
Generic iOS 19 Feature Mock Light

iOS 19 Leak Reveals All-New Design

Friday January 17, 2025 2:42 pm PST by
iOS 19 is still around six months away from being announced, but a new leak has allegedly revealed a completely redesigned Camera app. Based on footage it obtained, YouTube channel Front Page Tech shared a video showing what the new Camera app will apparently look like, with the key change being translucent menus for camera controls. Overall, the design of these menus looks similar to...
Generic iOS 18

Everything New in iOS 18.3 Beta 3

Thursday January 16, 2025 12:39 pm PST by
Apple provided the third beta of iOS 18.3 to developers today, and while the betas have so far been light on new features, the third beta makes some major changes to Notification Summaries and also tweaks a few other features. Notification Summary Changes Apple made multiple changes to Notification Summaries in response to complaints about inaccurate summaries of news headlines. For...
2024 App Store Awards

Apple Explains Why It Removed TikTok From the App Store in the U.S.

Sunday January 19, 2025 6:58 am PST by
Apple on late Saturday removed TikTok from the App Store in the U.S., and it has now explained why it was required to take this action. Last year, the U.S. passed a law that required Chinese company ByteDance to divest its ownership of TikTok due to potential national security risks, or else the platform would be banned. That law went into effect today, and companies like Apple and Google...
iPhone 17 Slim Feature Single Camera 1 Redux

'iPhone 17 Air' Launching Later This Year With These 10 New Features

Wednesday January 15, 2025 7:16 am PST by
While the so-called "iPhone 17 Air" is not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the "ultra-thin" device. Overall, the "iPhone 17 Air" is shaping up to be a mixed bag. Due to its thinness, the device is expected to have some limited specifications compared to the iPhone 17 Pro models, including only a single rear camera, only a single speaker, no SIM...
iPad Pro vs iPhone 17 Air Feature

Here's How Thin the iPhone 17 Air Might Be

Friday January 17, 2025 3:38 pm PST by
For the last several months, we've been hearing rumors about a redesigned version of the iPhone 17 that Apple might call the iPhone 17 "Air," or something along those lines. It's going to replace the iPhone 17 Plus as Apple's fourth iPhone option, and it will be offered alongside the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max. We know the iPhone 17 Air is going to be super slim, but...
HomePod mini and Apple TV

Apple Expected to Launch 20+ Products This Year: Here's the Full List

Friday January 17, 2025 5:30 am PST by
2025 promises to be quite a big year for Apple, with the company rumored to be planning more than 20 product announcements this year. Apple's rumored smart home hub will be its second all-new product to launch in as many years, following the Apple Vision Pro headset last year. And of course, we will get several new iPhone and Apple Watch models, like every year. Beyond that, Apple could...
iPhone 17 Pro Dual Tone Horizontal Single Feature

iPhone 17 Rumored to Feature Major Thermal Design Upgrade

Friday January 17, 2025 4:33 am PST by
The iPhone 17 lineup will feature a vapor chamber heatsink to improve thermal performance, according to a new report. The news comes from Chinese tech news site MyDrivers, which claims that the entire iPhone 17 lineup, consisting of the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max, will adopt the improved thermal heat spreader. Vapor chamber technology is already used...

Top Rated Comments

WarmWinterHat Avatar
18 weeks ago
Spent all of elementary school practicing for this moment.

Attachment Image
Score: 31 Votes (Like | Disagree)
vegetassj4 Avatar
18 weeks ago
me trying to replace the iPhone battery with my homemade step down transformer



Attachment Image
Score: 20 Votes (Like | Disagree)
krspkbl Avatar
18 weeks ago
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.
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
con2apple Avatar
18 weeks ago
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
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
CarAnalogy Avatar
18 weeks ago

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.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
MayaUser Avatar
18 weeks ago
did you hear this Samsung? please copy paste on your next models
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)