Powering a Phone Without a Battery (To Stop It Exploding!)

Summary

The video demonstrates how to repurpose an aging Google Pixel 3a by removing its lithium-ion battery and powering it directly, rather than leaving an old battery plugged in continuously. The phone still works and has useful hardware, including a camera, touchscreen, and Wi-Fi, making it suitable for projects such as a time-lapse camera or digital display.

Process and Technical Details

• The creator removes the screen and mid-frame to access the battery. Its adhesive strips break during removal, so the battery must be pried out.
• The battery shows no visible swelling, but the phone does not boot when connected directly to a standard charger.
• The battery’s protection circuit board monitors the cell’s voltage and temperature and can cut power under unsafe conditions. The phone expects roughly 3.7–4.2 volts from the battery.
• The initial idea of using 5V USB power with a small buck converter is judged inadequate because a phone can draw substantial power.
• Instead, a USB Power Delivery module negotiates 9V from a power bank rated to provide up to 3A. A buck converter lowers this to 4.1V, which is fed through the battery’s protection board to the phone.
• The phone boots and appears to run normally with this setup. The creator plans to tidy the installation and route the wires through a hole in the phone.

Main Speaker

SquareOrbits — the video’s narrator and DIY demonstrator.