According to a report from The informationApple is working on a way to remove the adhesive strips that hold the iPhone battery in place. Apple will have to comply with EU regulations that require all phone batteries to be user-replaceable by 2025.
Currently the battery is wrapped in foil and attached to the phone via adhesive strips, which you pull to release the battery.
Apple is reportedly working on a metal case that can extract the battery after a minor electric shock. The technology is reportedly called electrically induced adhesive dissolution. Whether that sounds easier than pulling adhesive tabs is up for debate.
Getting to the battery will be just as tricky as it is now: you’ll first have to get through the adhesive that secures the glass parts to the phone’s frame, and then through some screws and ribbon cables.
Apple could test the new battery housing on at least one iPhone 16 model later this year, and expects to roll it out to the entire iPhone 17 lineup next year.
Many other manufacturers use similar adhesive pull tabs, which means they’ll also have to find a way to make battery replacement easier next year.