Apple batteries for the iPhone: More capacity and easier replacement planned
A new housing could significantly improve the performance of iPhone batteries. At the same time, Apple is planning less adhesive nailing.
Battery replacement for an iPhone 15
(Image: iFixIt)
Apple is preparing changes to its iPhone batteries. In future, these should have more capacity in the same space and also be easier to replace – even by amateurs using the company's Self-Service Repair Program (SSRP).
As the usually well-informed analyst Ming-Chi Kuo from the Taiwanese financial institution TF International Securities reports on X, Apple also wants to prepare for a new regulation from the European Union, which will require simple battery replacement from 2027. A new housing for the battery cells is planned, which will be made of stainless steel for the first time. The batteries are currently encased in plastic, which can puncture if not handled properly, posing a fire hazard.
Kuo believes that the stainless-steel casing will allow an increase in energy density of between five and ten percent – without creating a safety hazard. At the same time, it makes it easier to remove, according to Kuo. "This allows [Apple] to achieve two goals at once." According to Kuo, one of the suppliers is Sunway, which specializes in stainless-steel battery cases. Significantly higher sales and profits are expected there in the coming year.
Battery bonding soon to be less nailed down
In addition to the new stainless-steel housing for the battery cells, Apple is also planning a new method of placing the batteries in the housing, as previously reported by IT news service The Information from Silicon Valley. Apple currently uses so-called pull tabs, which can be removed relatively easily with tweezers, but can only be reattached using special technology.
The new installation and removal method is said to work with electricity. A so-called Electrically Induced Adhesive (De)bonding is intended for this purpose. The batteries can then be removed with a low voltage and inserted much more easily. However, the problem remains that the housing has to be opened in a complicated way beforehand. Apple does not appear to be planning a genuine replacement battery – as was once the case with most cell phones.
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