Replacing an iPod battery

Summary: need to replace your 3G iPod battery? Get a guitar pick and then check out the video.



I was a relatively early adopter of the iPod, jumping in shortly after the release of the 3rd generation and reveling in my pack-of-cards size music library. However, as all good portable electronics are wont to do, this 3G iPod's battery finally bit it.



Since I read Slashdot, have built my own computers, and perform tech support on the PCs of friends and family, I felt I qualified to try one of the iPod battery replacement schemes that involved opening the not-designed-to-be-opened iPod. I mean, I'm smarter than the tools, right?



I chose to go with the thrifty ipodbatterydepot.com, where my grand total was something like $18 for the iPod battery, instructions, and two mysterious looking plastic wands. After an hour of hacking at the iPod per the enclosed instructions (and the futile effort of my coworker), resulting in the steady filing down of the useless plastic wands, I decided to hit the interweb for more information.



Two great resources lit up my life:

1. Videos of iPod battery replacements, for every generation of iPod


2. A tutorial, with step-by-step images, especially for the 3G iPod.

The best bit of knowledge? Screw the enclosed wands. Get yourself a 25-cent guitar pick. My local guitar store had a bin of them and I chose two medium thickness picks.

• Time spent hacking iPod with "proper tools": 1 hour.
  
  


• Time spent opening iPod with guitar pick: less than 1 minute.

Photo summary:





The battery swap was simple, but involves some delicate manuvering of the iPod's innards (watch the video). My 3G is currently running down the new battery in preparation for a full charge later tonight. Snap!