Apple has a ‘secret plan’ to revolutionize its iPhone – and the update could launch this year
Apple is working on a secret plan that could radically change its future iPhone models for all of its 1.46 billion users.
The tech giant is reportedly working on a way to make battery replacement, which currently requires tweezers and a special device, easier by encasing the power source in metal instead of foil, a process known as induced adhesive debonding.
The swap allows people to remove the battery with a small power surge using a DC power supply, which is used to test and charge electronics and is widely available for purchase.
The battery update could be added to at least one model of the iPhone 16 as early as this year, rolling out in September and expanding 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 implemented in the iPhone 16 that comes out in September
Before the iPhone, replacing a battery was as simple as popping the back of the phone off with a finger and loosening the battery before putting a new one in, but today’s Apple phones require special tools to open the back of the device.
“I would love to see Apple innovate to improve repairability,” Kyle Wiens, CEO of iFixit, a gadget repair website, told 9to5Mac.
“Glue is the bane of modern appliance repairs, and any strategies that help undo adhesive residue are welcome.”
The new technology would allow people to easily remove the battery at home, The information reported.
Smartphone batteries are currently held in place with adhesive strips to make them more waterproof and prevent water from spreading throughout the device.
It is unclear whether the new electrically induced adhesive dissolution method will provide the same protection.
For standard iPhones, users must purchase an Apple repair kit (costing $50) and use the included tweezers and solvent to slowly and carefully remove the adhesive tape.
Next, they have to use a special machine called a battery press to lock the new battery back into place.
The alternative is to take the iPhone to an Apple technician, which costs approximately $99 to remove and replace the battery.
The new technology encases the battery in metal that can be removed by applying a small current from a DC power supply used to test and charge electronics and which is widely available.
iPhone users currently have to purchase an Apple repair kit to replace the battery for $50, or take the iPhone to an Apple technician, which costs around $99
iPhone users have complained about how difficult the process is, with one person writing on Reddit: “I think we ALL know Apple’s stance on everything they make. Build in redundancy and plunder customers.
“You either pay an ‘Approved’ technician to replace the battery for a ridiculously high price, or you say ‘Sod that’ and go find a new iPhone.”
These complaints have been going on for years as someone else wrote on X in 2019: ‘After 3 years of intensive use, I had to replace the battery of my iPhone SE. Stupid the way it’s glued down!
‘Should be a lot easier, like it was with the iPhone 4. I wonder how many people buy a new phone when the battery dies, even though it’s just a [$21] spare part. What a waste of resources!’
Apple is taking this step as EU law may require the company to make it easier for users to replace batteries from 2025.
DailyMail.com has reached out to Apple for comment on the update.