Apple SVP Of Hardware Engineering Hints That iPhones Won’t Have Removable Batteries Despite EU’s New Rules; Says It Will Reduce Durability

wccftech.com:

An earlier EU ruling will require companies like Apple to offer devices to customers that feature ‘easy to replace’ batteries. However, despite the enforcement of these rules, the Cupertino firm’s Senior Vice President of hardware engineering hints that such a change will not be arriving to the company’s devices as it can compromise the internal integrity, reducing the overall durability.

Apple executive John Ternus spoke in an interview with the YouTube channel ORBIT that was spotted by Supercharged regarding the possibility of bringing removable batteries to future iPhones. Though most of the interview focused on Apple’s environmental efforts that Lisa Jackson led, Ternus believes that if consumers truly want a battery replacement for their devices, there needs to be a safer way to make that happen.

In other words, the company’s SVP of hardware engineering believes that iPhone owners would inadvertently harm themselves when performing a battery replacement procedure. While the executive may have said this out of concern for the people’s well-being, it is likely that this statement was made to ensure that one of Apple’s revenue streams is not severed.

Despite the technology giant shipping millions of iPhones in a calendar year, it stands to make a ton of money through battery replacements alone, with U.S. customers needing to pay $99 for a battery replacement for the base iPhone 14 if they have not opted for AppleCare+. Ternus states that making an internal component more repairable can also add a potential failure point in that area, making devices less durable.

He also mentions that making batteries easily replaceable would make incorporating water and dust-resistant seals on iPhones difficult. Ternus also says that Apple