iPhone 16 teardown shows how easy it is to remove the battery

The iPhone 16 series, especially the vanilla and “Plus” models, are the most repairable iPhones in years. Probably the EU’s pressures to enhance repairability in tech devices have a lot to do with this. One of the biggest internal changes is a new adhesive that makes battery replacement much easier. A new teardown from iFixit reveals just how simple it is to remove the battery on an iPhone 16.

The new iPhone 16’s battery glue releases the cell when you “electrocute” it

If you’re not aware, the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus use a new, neat method of battery removal. While glue is still there, it is now responsive to low-voltage electrical currents thanks to new special properties. Basically, the adhesive “releases” the cell when you infuse it with a small current of around 9V. You can do this with a simple battery that is available in many places and some alligator clips (or another conductive tool).

The teardown shows that the change is pretty impactful, especially considering the risks of removing the battery in previous models. Until now, all iPhones used traditional glue and the classic removal tabs for the battery. However, if for some reason you were unable to remove the cell by pulling the tabs, you had to resort to pressure tools. This entailed a potential risk of damage to the device or even fires.

For unknown reasons, the new “voltage-sensitive” glue is not present in the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max. These models keep the battery removal system from previous generations. However, they also got some tweaks in favor of repairability. There is now a new metal enclosure for the battery, and the LiDAR scanner and TrueDepth camera are more easily accessible to technicians. Apple will likely implement the new battery glue in all future iPhone models.

More internal changes across the series

The iFixit teardown shows more than just the iPhone 16’s battery glue. It also provides a closer look at the new Camera Control button that’s present across the lineup. You can check out the full teardown video below.