friedAmobo t1_j9p5h5f wrote on February 23, 2023 at 4:09 PM

Reply to comment by Hi_Im_Ken_Adams in Apple reportedly made a big breakthrough on a secret non-invasive blood glucose monitor project that originally was part of a 'fake' startup by dakiki

The batteries in iPhones are actually adhered using adhesive pull-tabs, which is the second most consumer-friendly method (the most would be a removable cover in the style of early smartphones). The hard part is that an iPhone battery replacement requires removal of the display and a bunch of other components, which can be time-consuming and difficult for someone who doesn't regularly do that kind of repair.

Hi_Im_Ken_Adams t1_j9ped3a wrote on February 23, 2023 at 5:04 PM

I've replaced the battery in my iPhone before. I had to use a hairdryer to melt the adhesive. Perhaps those pull-tabs you mention are present in the newer iPhones?

friedAmobo t1_j9pjslw wrote on February 23, 2023 at 5:37 PM

It's possible, though flipping through iFixit's guides (the 2G, 3G, 3GS, 4, 5, 6, 7, 11, and 14 models), the first time adhesive pull tabs were referenced by them was in the iPhone 3G (the second-generation iPhone). They recommended against using the pull tabs in the 3G and 3GS, though. Unless Apple removed the pull tab at some point and then added it back in soon after (between the model generations I checked), it seems like iPhones have consistently had some form of a pull tab after the original iPhone.

What might have been possible is that the adhesive may have aged to the point where the pull tabs were no longer usable in your iPhone when you repaired it and the battery was essentially glued/adhered to the chassis at that point. Without the pull tabs (which can break when trying to use them), the battery adhesive basically becomes the same as the display adhesive, which also requires heat to remove.