iFixit now sells a USB-powered tool for removing the iPhone 16’s battery

Apple recommends removing the iPhone 16’s battery, which is held in place with a new electrically debondable adhesive, by using a 9V battery and some alligator clips. iFixit’s new USB-powered VoltClip is an alternative tool that eliminates the need for a disposable battery, while also potentially speeding up the debonding process.

The VoltClip, available now for $10.95 through iFixit’s online store, features a pair of alligator clips attached to short wires on one end and a 12V DC adapter on the other that converts a barrel connector to a USB-C port.

When plugged into a device that supports USB-C power delivery (such as the battery that comes with iFixit’s new portable soldering station), the VoltClip will output either nine or 12 volts of power, which is enough to debond the adhesive holding the iPhone 16’s battery in place in 60 or 90 seconds, respectively. If a device doesn’t support at least nine volts of power output, the VoltClip will drop down to five volts, which, in iFixit’s testing, is not enough power to debond the new adhesive.

Apple’s repair documents say that using up to 30 volts of power “will result in faster removal times,” but iFixit wanted to “keep things simple and low cost out of the gate” for the first iteration of the VoltClip.

Is it worth spending almost $11 for this very specific tool? If you think you’re going to be regularly replacing iPhone 16 batteries, it seems like a useful addition to your repair kit. But if you’re just replacing a battery once, buying a single 9V battery (or temporarily borrowing one from another device) and a compatible pair of battery clips is a bit cheaper. Other potential use cases for the VoltClip, like jump-starting an RC car, as iFixit suggests, or temporarily reviving a dead smart door lock (assuming you carry the VoltClip with you everywhere you go) are also very specific use cases that may not help justify the cost.

iFixit plans to eventually bundle the VoltClip with iPhone 16 battery repair kits, though those aren’t expected for at least a few months.