At least one of the iPhone 16 models set to be launched in the following months might adopt metal-covered battery cells. The new design is first believed to make the iPhone batteries denser without the extra heft. However, a new report sheds insights that this approach could also make the batteries easy to repair.
What are the benefits of metal-covered iPhone batteries
According to the consultant and leaker Ming-Chi Kuo, Apple’s new battery design which would use stainless steel covers is said to streamline the battery pack replacement process.
This means that an iPhone with the said battery can be removed easily by ditching the use of metal strips and reducing adhesive use. The design will instead rely on a new electrically-powered debonding technology to eject the battery out from an iPhone.
Kuo added that another reason why Apple is switching to this tech is to adhere to the EU’s repairability regulation that would require manufacturers like Apple to offer devices with user-replaceable batteries through self-service repair by 2027.
Right now, many manufacturers support self-service repair by providing guides and components to their users. However, replacing the batteries most of the time can be a challenging task due to the complexity of these components and how they are glued inside a smartphone.
Apart from meeting EU’s regulations, metal-covered battery cells will also have the advantage of having 5 to 10 percent more density compared to the current cells. While that’s a modest capacity increase, the extra juice could bring a more meaningful improvement in the battery life if coupled with an optimized software and efficient processor.
The iPhone maker is expected to adopt this kind of technology on the iPhone 16 Pro Max while only next year it plans to utilize it on all iPhone 17 models. As per rumors, the iPhone 16 Pro Max is going to sport a rated battery of 4674 mAh, up 5 percent from the iPhone 15 Pro Max’s (review) 4441 mAh cell.
What do you think of these possible changes in the next-gen Apple iPhones? Should more companies be required to have easy-to-replace batteries in their smartphones? We want to hear your opinion.
Source:
Ming-Chi Kuo on X
