Electric glue and other surprises

The iPhone 16 is out now, which means we can finally discover what’s under the hood. Apple has already announced some interior design changes for the new version iPhone series features such as improved thermal properties that should help dissipate heat from the chip better over previous designs.

Rumors also suggest that Apple will use new technologies inside the iPhone, including a new type of adhesive that separates using electricity. I call it electrical adhesive, but the technological process is called electrical debonding. Furthermore, leaks say that Apple will use metal cases for the iPhone 16 batteries.

iFixit Realized We’re in the midst of the much-anticipated iPhone 16 and 16 Plus teardown, and we can now confirm the secret. We see the electric glue in action and discover a few exciting surprises. Chief among them is Apple’s decision to make the iPhone 16 phones more repairable than ever.

Electric glue

iFixit’s teardown video at the end of this post shows off the new electrical disconnection process beautifully. All you have to do is apply 9V, wait up to 90 seconds, and lift the battery out of the device. A higher voltage will allow you to remove the battery even faster.

iFixit explains the procedure in technical terms based on research paper About this electric glue technology:

In the second scenario, anodic delamination occurs due to oxidation of the surface of the aluminum substrate and migration of Al3+ into the adhesive. This will lead to rapid delamination as the substrate layer attached to the adhesive is no longer supported.

But I prefer Oreo cookies explanation:

What does this jargon mean? Imagine an Oreo cookie with a thick layer of double-filled creme. You realize that if you dip the bottom cookie in a little milk and then bend it, the filling will always stick to the top cookie.

Apply the current correctly and the battery adhesive will come off sticking to the battery. Reverse the polarity and the battery will come off but the electrical glue will stick to the frame. You want the first one because each new battery will come with its own adhesive.

So, the electric glue doesn’t work both ways because it doesn’t need it. You’ll just replace the battery with a new one.

iFixit also notes that the rumor that Apple will use metallic housings for the iPhone 16 batteries is true. However, only the iPhone 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max have them. They also have traditional adhesive tabs that you have to pull. Only the fancy new electric adhesive works on the iPhone 16 and 16 Plus.

The iPhone 16 Pro batteries could have the advantage of being more resistant to accidental damage. They could also improve heat dissipation and support higher-density batteries, but I’m just speculating here.

New thermal features of A18 chips

Apple detailed the improved thermals of the iPhone 16 phones during its launch event, suggesting it learned a thing or two from the overheating of the iPhone 15 Pro last year.

iFixit’s teardown of the iPhone 16 and 16 Plus shows that the processor will dissipate heat better thanks to a new ferrous heat sink that iFixit found during the teardown. Interestingly, this heat sink is positioned close to the A18’s Neural Engine, the part of the chip that handles Apple Intelligence. It seems that Apple is prioritizing the cooling of this key chip component to ensure great AI performance on the device.

Camera Control button

The teardown also proves that the Camera Control button is a physical working hardware button, but it has a force sensor for half-presses that trigger certain actions. It also comes with its own chip.

iPhone 16 is the most repairable iPhone ever

I’ve always said that if you’re having problems, you should take your iPhone in for repair rather than doing it yourself using Apple’s tools. Even though the iPhone 16 phones have the best repairability score ever, I think this is a better approach.

With a score of 7 out of 10 on iFixit’s scale, the iPhone 16 models are easier to repair than ever before, meaning repair shops can get the job done easier and faster than before.

Apple has changed the internal design to make it easier to replace parts. Critical repairs like battery and camera replacements can be done without removing other parts to get to them.

Access to the phone from the front and back will make repairs easier than before, a design detail that Apple introduced with the iPhone 14 but wasn’t present on the Pro models.

Finally, Apple has made the iPhone 16 documentation available online to provide immediate assistance to repair shops.

As for the software, iOS 18 includes a new Repair Assistant that will calibrate all new components simultaneously.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M6jBXI6CR9s