Replacing an iPod Mini battery
 |
 |
My wife has an original iPod Mini which has been slowly losing its ability to hold a charge. The correct solution to the situation is inevitably going to be replacing it with one of the updated iPod Nanos, but this involves selecting a color first, which is out of my hands.
In the meantime, I saw a battery replacement kit at Fry’s this afternoon and thought I would try rehabilitating the Mini, since it’s in good condition, other than having a battery life of about 30 minutes. I also remembered reading a few articles on the subject a while back.
I got a kit made by Premium Power, which supplies a lithium-ion battery, plus a small screwdriver kit and instructions. It was around $40 at Fry’s, but is available online for around $18. I believe Apple also provides a mail-in service for replacing the batteries, but I was taking the instant gratification approach here.
The front of the packaging says it includes “easy installation instructions”, while the back provides a caution - “installing this battery requires a moderate level of technical ability and proficiency in the use of hand tools as well as a general understanding of electronic components.” There’s also a warning that disassembling your iPod will void the warrantee, but in our case it expired a long time ago.
Once you get the iPod case open, it’s not bad. The primary challenge is getting the two end covers off. They are glued onto the ends, so prying them off pretty much requires inflicting minor chipping somewhere on the plastic. You can see the adhesive in the photo above.
The replacement battery was about a half millimeter larger than the original one, and fit more tightly in the limited space. It looked like it might not make it back into the metal housing, but actually did fit with some careful jiggling.
I wouldn’t recommend the DIY approach to battery replacement to anyone uncomfortable with following directions or handling small parts. The “easy installation instructions” are easy to read, but following them is probably beyond the average person’s comfort level.
This unit is likely to be retired to backup duty shortly, but if you’re like me, hate discarding perfectly good electronics, and aren’t scared off by the instructions, replacing the battery can give your iPod Mini an extended life.