Apple is finally giving in to the pressure from the European Union and making big changes to its iPhone batteries. By 2027, the tech giant will be making its batteries user-replaceable in response to demands for greater repairability of consumer devices. But that’s not all – Apple is also exploring the use of electroadhesion technology as a replacement for traditional adhesives.
So, what exactly is electroadhesion, you ask? Well, instead of the usual methods of heating, isopropyl alcohol, or even violence to release the battery, electroadhesion involves wrapping the battery in metal. This metal wrapping creates a special bond with the inside of the metal case using a low-voltage DC current for adhesion.
This innovative concept is not entirely new. Tesa, a company that has already commercialized this technology in their Debonding on Demand product, uses a tape that, when pressure is applied for a few seconds, allows for easy removal of parts without any sticky residue left behind. And with just a 12V DC voltage for 60 seconds, voila! The parts can be detached effortlessly.
While pull tab adhesive strips have been all the rage in smartphone repairs, opinions on their effectiveness during battery replacement remain divided. But with the potential of electroadhesion, the days of struggling to pry out a battery due to a broken pull tab may soon be a thing of the past.
It’s not just smartphones that could benefit from this technology. Electroadhesion has been shown to make just about anything stick to anything, from biological tissues to graphite and metal, opening up new possibilities in fields like robotics and medicine.
So, get ready for a future where swapping out your iPhone battery could be as simple as peeling off a sticker. The era of fussy repairs might soon be behind us, thanks to Apple’s innovative approach to battery replacement.
