Here’s a topic we didn’t think we’d be covering this week: glue.
It wasn’t mentioned at the launch event, but Apple debuted a new battery adhesive with the iPhone 16 and 16 Plus. The benefit of this new technology is to “cause the battery to detach with very little force,” says leaker Majin Bu, making repairs and replacements much simpler. A small electrical voltage is enough to release the battery with zero effort, an improvement on the previous adhesive pull tabs which are more difficult to remove.
Apple didn’t include the new adhesive in the iPhone 16 Pro or 16 Pro Max this year, unusually giving the new feature only to the standard models. Most likely this is essentially a testing ground, as reports indicate Apple intends to use the new glue across the board when the iPhone 17 lineup drops next year.
But why should we care?
For one thing, iPhones have always been notoriously expensive to fix, with most components either difficult or impossible to remove. Apple making that process easier is a step in the right direction for consumers who want access to cheaper repairs or even DIY options.
A more tangible benefit is cost. Currently, Apple charges $99 for an iPhone 16 battery replacement but $119 for iPhone 16 Pro models. If next year’s Pros adopt the new technology, it’s likely we’ll see that price drop back in line with the cheaper models. Here’s hoping.