Installing a CLIE NX70v Replacement Battery

Gadgeteer Article by Mitchell Oke

March 13, 2006

I bought a used CLIE NX70v on eBay a few weeks ago for AU$200 because I wanted a PDA that I could use at school to enter data with. I recently trimmed down to just carrying an imate SP5 smartphone (very similar to the SP5m reviewed on The-Gadgeteer) which is fantastic as a phone and read-only PDA, but it was terrible for text entry. The first week back at school had me longing for my touch-screened, keyboarded PDA (previously the imate KJAM) for entering homework and other stuff into my PDA.

I got the NX70 because of its high-res screen, keyboard and reasonable price. I also secretly got it because a flip CLIE is something that I had wanted since the day they came out :-D

When I received it I loaded up everything onto it, bought a few accessories (USB sync/charge cable, AAA battery extender), as well as a Sony WL110 CF WiFi card (still to receive). After a few days I found the NX70 really sucked. The eBay seller hadn't stated battery performance, so I didn't really have any recourse with him. I knew that the life I was getting was not near-new, as only about 1hr of standard use (and max of 30-40mins music) would have battery warnings going off everywhere. I knew this would be even worse when I stated to use the WiFi card, which made me start looking around for a replacement battery.

I initially thought that it would be reasonably difficult to do, replacing the battery. After a few Google searches I found some very rudimentary instructions on how to do it. It seemed that all I needed to do was undo 5 screws on the back/side and I would have access. Sounds easy? Read on to find out just how easy it was. This procedure will be identical for the NX60 as it is the NX70 without the camera.

First thing I did was use the built-in backup utility to backup my device. By disconnecting the old battery, all RAM will be cleared (aka. Hard-reset).

One thing to remember is that if you use a Memory Stick Pro (or Pro Duo in a MS adaptor) is that it won't be accessible after the hard-reset because it requires an update. To use it again, I created a new Hotsync ID to just install the MS Pro Update. Once that is installed the card is readable again in your NX70 and you can restore your backup. You can then delete the new Hotsync ID from your computer.

The battery I bought generic one branded "Power Runner" and rated at 1100mAh. It was quite cheap, only costing me AU$19 (about US$14).

It arrived quite quickly and in a sealed (not sticky-taped) anti-static bag.

The back screws on the NX70 are star-shaped, but I found my small Phillips (not flathead) screwdriver worked perfectly and griped the screw without any slipping.

First thing to do is remove the five screws. There are 4 on the back and one on the left side below the hold button. When removing the screw on the side it will release a small panel. Unfortunately this does not let you remove the battery like I first thought it might. Continue to remove the 4 back screws.

When all the screws are out you will be able to remove the back in a simple vertical manoeuvre (aka. Lift it straight up :P). You will be presented with the motherboard, CF slot and our target: the battery.

The battery is basically just sitting there, but it is attached to a piece of tape. This is just plastic, and not anything functional like a ribbon cable. Rather than try to put it off with force in such a delicate space, I just snipped it with a pair of scissors. My tape was affixed very well to the battery, but yours may not be.

Once you have cut/unstuck the tape you will be able to lift the battery out. Disconnect the cable connecting the battery to the motherboard.

NOTE: At this point your device will loose ALL power and will be hard-reset (all settings/programs/data erased).

The replacement battery is the same size and shape as the original.

Before connecting the new battery, make a crease in the cable about halfway along (as shown in the picture below). The new battery's cable was straight, but to fit it must have a crease in the middle and be stacked at the top of the battery.

Connect the new battery to the motherboard with the contacts FACE UP. I believe it to only go in one way (slight force did not allow it to go in upside-down for me) so you shouldn't have too much problem trying to insert it the correct way. When I connected it my device turned on straight away (you will here the CLIE boot sounds). Just press the power button to turn it off.

Once the cable is connected, seat the battery in about the sync connector. Make sure that the cable is folded above the battery like the original was.

Once the battery is seated you can put the back case back on. Screw the 4 screws in, but don't do them too tightly as it could break something. Make sure they are firm, but don't over do it. Then attach the battery door on the left side. I had to reseat the battery cable as it was poking out a bit. I used the battery door to push it back in when tightening the screw.

When you turn it on you should be presented with the Palm OS welcome screen. After you complete this, you can restore your MS Backup. If you have a MS Pro or Pro Duo follow my instructions above (when you were creating the backup).

Make sure you dispose of the old battery properly according to whatever procedures your local area has regarding that sort of thing. I am going to keep my original battery in case I ever need it.

And there you have it, a CLIE with a brand new battery! My CLIE has been functioning great with the new battery. Today I used it as much as I had previously, and where my old battery showed 60% the new battery still shows 100%! I will update this when I have used the battery a bit more.

I highly recommend this replacement to anyone who has a CLIE with a dying battery who wants to keep their current model. This procedure should work fairly similarly for other NR/NX CLIEs too. My replacement was bought off eBay and is compatible with the NR70/NX60/NX70/NX73/NX80.

UPDATE 3/2/2006: I have been using the new battery for several days now and it is excellent. I can get several days of use from the CLIE without a problem. That includes use of the PIM functions, several games and other playing around. Using WiFi I get about 2.5hrs of use. It has definitely improved the usability of the CLIE, as now I don't have to constantly check the battery level.