close
close

Apple says it will make replacing iPhone batteries easier and explains how it is trying to ensure the durability of the devices

Posted on by darion

Apple will soon make it easier to replace batteries and screens, revealing it’s focused on trying to keep iPhones and other devices lasting as long as possible.

The company will now share more information about these displays and batteries once they are included in the iPhone.

It’s part of a series of new updates focused on longevity. It announced that it would be expanding its “self-service repair diagnostics” tool that lets users analyze their own devices for problems, and it would also release a new article titled “Longevity, by Design,” which would try to explain how it tries to extend the life of those devices.

The document states that “we always work to provide our customers with the best possible experience, which is why we design products that last.” It says that purpose begins at the beginning of the design process and integrates predictions of future use.

Apple has sometimes faced suggestions that it introduces “planned obsolescence” into its devices so that they become obsolete quickly and then encourages users to buy new ones. But the company said data showed its devices actually last longer than competitors: iPhones retain 40 percent more value than competitor products, and hundreds of millions of them remain in use even though they are more than five years old.

Some of Apple’s efforts to extend the life of its devices have focused on repairability, although at times Apple has argued that this conflicts with building devices to last long in the first place. Now it has announced new tools that will make these devices perform better after repair.

Apple uses a system called part pairing, which means that the iPhone, for example, is connected to the screen and battery and they cannot be interchanged. Apple says this is a benefit to the user because it means, for example, that the display has been specifically calibrated on that device.

Now, however, it will reduce some of these restrictions.

At this time, the replacement display cannot use Apple’s True Tone feature, which adjusts to ambient light. The batteries also lack software features such as battery health analysis.

Now, third-party replacements will get some of the same features. True Tone will be enabled and Apple will provide better battery health metrics for third-party batteries.

However, this feature has some caveats. Apple will warn that True Tone will only operate “within the best performance that can be provided,” and for battery features there will be a warning that they cannot be verified.

Apple says some replacement batteries are sold as new but are actually used. This may mean that information about their health and number of top-ups may be inaccurate.