Easier than I expected--even a software person can do it!

Mijn probleem

Any time my battery got below 50%, it was a matter of minutes before it would power itself down and not turn on again until connected to its charger. The phone is out of warranty and I have no AppleCare. I discovered after ordering the new battery that Apple had announced a recall and my battery was among those they had identified as defective. I may still have been eligible for a free replacement, but decided I might as well try to do it myself.

Mijn oplossing

I was a bit apprehensive after watching a couple of videos where the original battery seemed to have been attached with Super Glue, but that turned out not to be an issue with mine.

I skipped steps 9-12 (detaching the three connectors attaching the front panel assembly from the rear case). I was probably able to get away with this because there was hardly any adhesive on my battery and I didn't have to use the spudger to pry the top of the battery--just the side. I didn't have to use the pull tab at all.

The hardest part for me was getting the front panel assembly away from the bottom case, but I was being extremely careful, having read prior comments about the danger of yanking it away and damaging the ribbon connectors.

Everything works, and I no longer experience any anxiety when my charger and my Mophie case are out of reach.

Mijn advies

Heed the comments in the guide about being careful with the itty bitty screws. I used the magnetic project mat and did the disassembly and reassembly on a piece of foam so nothing would bounce or roll away, but I still managed to (temporarily) lose the 1.8 mm screw while reattaching the battery connector bracket. After crawling on the floor for five minutes, I found it in the case between the battery and the pull tab.