First teardown of iPhone 16e shows larger battery, C1 modem

The iPhone 16e has already been subjected to its first teardown, highlighting Apple's custom C1 modem, a bigger battery, and lack of MagSafe.

It's Friday, which means the iPhone 16e is starting to land in the hands of owners across the globe. Unsurprisingly, it didn't take too long for the first teardown video to hit YouTube.

Rewa Technology has taken a crack at cracking open Apple's newest addition to its lineup. The video is short and sweet, clocking in at just under five-and-a-half minutes long, but it still gives us our first look at what makes the iPhone 16e tick.

The teardown reveals that the iPhone 16e does, in fact, have a larger battery. While the iPhone 16 features a 3,561 mAh battery, the iPhone 16e's battery comes in at a notably larger 4,005 mAh.

While Apple says it's redesigned the iPhone 16e boasts a new internal design that allows for a larger battery. While true, Rewa Technology points out that it's largely because of the smaller camera.

Like its predecessors, the iPhone 16e features an electro-chemical adhesive that can be loosened with low-voltage electrical current. This means that when replacing the battery, users can utilize a 9-volt battery or USB-C charger to help facilitate the removal of the battery.

Going deeper, we get a look at the other anticipated parts. This includes the iPhone 16e logic board, A18 chip, and Apple's brand new, in-house C1 cellular modem.

Rewa notes that the A18 chip seems to be harder to remove. This isn't a issue for service providers, as the processor and motherboard are replaced as a single unit — but it could make depot-level repair more difficult.

And, of course, Rewa Technology points out the iPhone 16e's lack of MagSafe, one of the more controversial moves Apple has made regarding the device.

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14 Comments

tht 24 Years · 5794 comments

About 1 month ago

So much better than iFixit's videos, imo. Now, need them to post some good pictures of the components.

2 Likes · 3 Dislikes

y2an 16 Years · 249 comments

About 1 month ago

As I expected, much improved repairability. And actually, that’s not because it was designed specifically for repairability rather it’s because it was designed for manufacturability. Apple’s goal is now to be able to transfer manufacturing quickly between countries which means assembly skills have to be simplified.

4 Likes · 0 Dislikes

welshdog 23 Years · 1905 comments

About 4 weeks ago

y2an said:

As I expected, much improved repairability. And actually, that’s not because it was designed specifically for repairability rather it’s because it was designed for manufacturability. Apple’s goal is now to be able to transfer manufacturing quickly between countries which means assembly skills have to be simplified.

I feel that if repairability and recyclability were required by law, it would be easier for everyone - companies and consumers alike. It is irrelevant that such constraints might have an effect on the design of the products. Designers egos and human tech infatuation are not valid reasons to make products that waste resources. I hope Apple, for what ever reason, continues to move in this direction of lower waste product lifespans for their products.

2 Likes · 2 Dislikes

Xed 5 Years · 3052 comments

About 4 weeks ago

welshdog said:

y2an said:

As I expected, much improved repairability. And actually, that’s not because it was designed specifically for repairability rather it’s because it was designed for manufacturability. Apple’s goal is now to be able to transfer manufacturing quickly between countries which means assembly skills have to be simplified.

I feel that if repairability and recyclability were required by law, it would be easier for everyone - companies and consumers alike. It is irrelevant that such constraints might have an effect on the design of the products. Designers egos and human tech infatuation are not valid reasons to make products that waste resources. I hope Apple, for what ever reason, continues to move in this direction of lower waste product lifespans for their products.

What about the waste that comes from building to the lowest common denominator? How do you build a modern smartphone that has to be designed so that anyone can repair it? If not everyone, then where do you draw the line?

I used to repair iPhones a lot and it wasn't a big deal for me, but that was before they had IP68 ratings. After that they did become more problematic. I did it because of my "tech infatuation," as you call it, which is also why I rad this article and watched the teardown. I don't think it's "tech infatuation" to want the best device possible and not expecting everything made by a company to be repairable by the customer. Does that also mean AirPods Pros can have batteries users can replace? How exactly would that work?

3 Likes · 1 Dislike

MplsP 9 Years · 4086 comments

About 4 weeks ago

Xed said:

welshdog said:

y2an said:

As I expected, much improved repairability. And actually, that’s not because it was designed specifically for repairability rather it’s because it was designed for manufacturability. Apple’s goal is now to be able to transfer manufacturing quickly between countries which means assembly skills have to be simplified.

I feel that if repairability and recyclability were required by law, it would be easier for everyone - companies and consumers alike. It is irrelevant that such constraints might have an effect on the design of the products. Designers egos and human tech infatuation are not valid reasons to make products that waste resources. I hope Apple, for what ever reason, continues to move in this direction of lower waste product lifespans for their products.

What about the waste that comes from building to the lowest common denominator? How do you build a modern smartphone that has to be designed so that anyone can repair it? If not everyone, then where do you draw the line?

I used to repair iPhones a lot and it wasn't a big deal for me, but that was before they had IP68 ratings. After that they did become more problematic. I did it because of my "tech infatuation," as you call it, which is also why I rad this article and watched the teardown. I don't think it's "tech infatuation" to want the best device possible and not expecting everything made by a company to be repairable by the customer. Does that also mean AirPods Pros can have batteries users can replace? How exactly would that work?

Not sure what you mean by 'lowest common denominator' but you seem to be using a straw man argument to make your claim. No one says that everyone should be able to fix an iPhone but we've seen designs in the past that required disconnecting the logic board to replace the battery. How about the Magic Mouse (apart from the incredibly stupid decision to put the charging port on the bottom.) The entire assembly is glued together making battery replacement next to impossible. Design decisions like these are completely unnecessary and more a sign of laziness than anything else.