The iPhone 16 showcases a brand new internal design that comes with a significant advantage for its repairability. Apple claims that the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus have been meticulously “reengineered” to make battery servicing easier and offer enhanced performance and thermal management. Apple says in the iPhone 16’s press release:
The internal design of iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus has been redesigned to accommodate a larger battery and to better dissipate heat, while facilitating easier battery service.
This echoes the details Apple shared during their special event held on Monday, highlighting the new thermal design of the iPhone 16 and how the improvements result in higher sustained performance:
We combine the powerful performance and efficiency of A18 with advanced system optimizations, including our thermal design. We updated the main logic board, centralizing the chip placement and optimizing the surrounding architecture. Additionally, we added a thermal substructure to effectively dissipate the heat generated from 100% recycled aluminum. As a result, the iPhone 16 delivers up to 30% higher sustained gaming performance.
The Information previously reported on Apple’s plans to make iPhone batteries easier to replace using a novel electrically induced adhesive debonding technology. At present, it remains unclear whether Apple has actually implemented this technology in the iPhone 16. We will learn more later this month when the first iFixit teardowns of the new devices are conducted.
This change comes as the European Union is set to enforce new legislation in 2025, which would require Apple to make the iPhone’s battery more accessible for replacement. There are a number of exemptions that could ultimately determine whether Apple is affected by these rules, but nonetheless, the company has made this alteration with the iPhone 16.
<p Notably, Apple's press release for the iPhone 16 Pro does not mention any changes to battery repairability.
(h/t MacRumors)