Apple has scored a much-needed win in the right-to-repair community with the iPhone 16 and 16 Plus. In iFixit’s new iPhone 16 teardown, the repair specialists highlight Apple’s move away from pull tabs to secure the phone’s battery, utilizing instead an adhesive that debonds when a low electrical current is passed through it. “That means no more reliance on finicky, brittle adhesive strips,” says iFixit, “just a consistent, easily repeatable process.” It’s important to note, however, that only the base version and the Plus version of the 16 line has the battery upgrade, not the iPhone 16 Pro Max.
iFixit launches its own soldering iron and accessory line
In addition to an easily swappable battery, the new line boasts iOS’ new Repair Assistant, which aims to put an end to Apple’s much maligned parts pairing “feature.” iFixit says that while it isn’t perfect, it is promising, and that over all Apple is heading in the right direction when it comes to right-to-repair.
