Potentially taking its cue from the European Union, Google might make the Pixel 11 battery much easier to remove than before.
According to a patent spotted by Android Police, Google might be working on a new, easier way to replace the phone battery. Instead of relying on glue and pull tabs, the new method mounts the battery in its own metal chassis and uses spring-loaded contacts to lock it in place.
The phone itself might still use glue to seal itself together. Also, this does not allow for a truly hot-swappable solution. That said, the patent could point to a more repair-friendly way to remove and replace a future Pixel’s battery.
It’s possible we might see the patent brought to life on the Pixel 11, which is slated to release later this year. It’s also just as likely that we won’t see it until a later Pixel smartphone.
Regardless, this patent is likely in response to upcoming EU regulation that requires manufacturers to redesign their devices by February 2027 to feature swappable batteries with “commercially available tools.”
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