PineNote/Battery Replacement

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Battery replacement guide for the PineNote by matrix user tpw_rules.

Warning: Lithium batteries can catch fire. The PINE64 community and the Pine Store is not responsible if you burn your house down or zorch your PineNote with all your precious notes.
  1. Obtain replacement battery, e.g. https://www.aliexpress.com/item/2251832652160354.html is the one I used. You'll also need a soldering iron with a fine tip. Double check that the battery has the right polarity with a multimeter.
  2. Fully discharge the PineNote to reduce the risk of fire if the battery is damaged or shorted.
  3. Remove the back cover. I did not need tools. I was able to simply pry it off with my thumbs. Start at the top, work your way around the corners and sides. Once the sides and top are released, it should be possible to carefully tilt up and slide the chassis out of the bottom of the cover. Carelessness here will rip the USB-C port off the board, don't do that.
  4. Remove the foam over the battery connector and carefully unplug the battery.
  5. Remove the old battery from the chassis. it is secured at the top and bottom with double sided tape. Once again I did not use any tools here, I very carefully and slowly pried the battery out starting from the top. bending the battery a little bit is okay, but avoid creasing it!
  6. Insert the new battery into the chassis. I just left the old remnants of double sided tape to "secure" it. You might want something stronger. Be sure the wires will reach the battery connector.
  7. Solder the battery to the test points by the connector. I highly recommend pre-tinning the points and the wires. DO NOT SHORT THE BATTERY WIRES! Red wire goes to either or both of the top two points labeled B_P. Black wire goes to either or both of the bottom two points labeled B_N. The remaining (usually yellow or white) wire goes to the middle point. See the picture below.
  8. Put some tape over the connections to protect them. I just used a little bit of scotch. ensure the bare wires won't touch each other, the old connector, or the chassis.
  9. Reattach the back cover. slide the USB-C port through the hole in the bottom then tilt the chassis down, being careful again to not snap it off. It can be fiddly to align but the bottom will eventually sit nicely. Press around the edges, starting at the bottom, working your way around the sides, and finishing at the top to refasten the back cover.
  10. Plug in the charger and turn the PineNote on. You're done, yay!

Pinenote battery replaced.jpg