How to replace the battery in an iPhone
26 June 2018
So a few weeks ago, I came to the point where something needed to be done about my iPhone 5-S (I’m not sure if the dash is supposed to be between the 5 and the S; I just don’t want it to sound like 5’s). While Apple iPhones haven’t been notorious for their battery storage capacity, when it comes to the point where you charge your phone from almost zero up to to 100% around two to three times per day, then you have a problem.
While there are a few possible causes for this, such as a short-circuit somewhere in the iPhone, I thought it was just that the battery had seen better days, and needed to be replaced. Thankfully I was right, the problem was just the battery. The thing is, this is where the story gets funny.
Please note that I do not reccomend for anyone to try this at home, unless they have the confidence that they can complete it – as for someone who has never taken apart their iPhone (or any phone for that matter) it can be a little bit tricky, and more time-consuming than it looks on the youtube videos!
Apple iPhones are made, not just to be convenient in terms of size, etc, but also to be hard for the average person to replace/fix. Which unfortunately leads to a lot of people throwing away their iPhones and devices when they get too old, and stop working… Or trading them in and paying extra for a new one. When in fact usually there is only one small piece that needs replacing, and it can work like new again. Being passionate about sustainability, I’m someone who doesn’t always like to replace things when they still work fine.
Okay, so my iPhone battery needed replacing, and, for some reason, I decided to do it myself. It wasn’t about saving money, it was more that I was interested, and hadn’t done it before, and wanted to be able to say to myself, ‘hey, I know how to replace an iPhone battery.’ I know, go figure, right?
An iPhone battery can be replaced in a lot of places for around $40, which is a fair enough price. Bought wholesale, the battery costs less than $10, and there’s a bit of work in it, even though for an experienced person it would only take around three minutes.. I think they well deserve that $40! However when you go to a Telstra or Optus store, or Apple or a licensed Apple reseller, the cost is unbelievably ridiculous!
So, before I begin my story, for anyone that needs any part of an iPhone or any other device replaced, I recommend to go to your local independent businesses, in shopping centres, or google and find your local ‘iPhone guy’ or similar. I like to support small businesses and independents. However, in this case, I decided to do it myself, hehe.
So I managed to buy a new battery, with the tools needed to replace it, on eBay for $9.99. And a simple YouTube search and I was on the way.
It would have all been fixed as easy as that, except after I sealed the phone shut very carefully, I realised the Home button didn’t work, because I’d forgot to connect the cable. So I undid it, connected it back together, and sealed the phone… Carefully… Carefully… Not so carefully, as I applied too much pressure and put a crack in the screen. Oops.
So then I had to order a new screen (just $19) and jump back on YouTube to learn how to replace it. Fortunately my phone still worked as normal while I waited for the new screen in the post, and until I felt enough motivation to fix it.
Easy enough, right? Well, let’s just say it tested my fine motor skills, those screws and bits in there are damn tiny! And you have to be really careful when replacing the screen around the camera part, and the Home button. I almost had it back together, when… I broke the Home button cable. So this time my phone was out of order, and I was just about to take it to get it fixed, when I felt this urge to complete what I’d started, just so I could feel the sense of achievement from doing it. So I put my sim card in my other phone for a couple days, until the new Home button arrived in the post ($6.50) and then I put it in:
And finally it worked! I’d fixed my iPhone. Even though the initial problem was a faulty battery, I managed to have to replace the battery, screen, and Home button. I never thought I’d get to know my phone so… Intimately? No, that doesn’t sound like the right word.
So would I do it all again? Sure, maybe, it only cost $36.50, though like I said it wasn’t about how much it cost, it was just because I wanted to give it a try. And while I don’t recommend anyone to do it unless they think they can, and would like to; I don’t regret it. I don’t like to regret anything, and plus, I enjoyed it. It was a whole bunch of fun. Even just for a laugh.
