The Phone 16 line had barely arrived when the folks at iFixit start dismantling thema process made easier this time around by Apple’s day-one publication of repair manuals. The teardown process shows that the camera control is an actual button that moves, along with a flex cable that likely measures force and the heat sink that appears to be positioned to keep the A18 chip’s Neural Engine cool as it handles ai workloads.
After the battery is disconnected from the board, electrical current is applied from a power source (a 9-volt battery for 90 seconds will do) and the previously glued battery slides off easily enough for gravity to do the work. Then, in order for the adhesive to adhere to the new battery, only pressure is needed.
Apple notes that over time, the release time could be longer, but on these new phones, iFixit found that using a current of 20V was enough to undo the bond in five seconds, and Apple says it can use up to 30V. iFixit also brought some microscopic close-ups of the frame that holds the battery and the machined ridges it has to give the battery something to adhere to.
