I expect each EU hardware design mandate to be worse than the previous, now that they've got a taste of the power...
How are any of them bad so far?
European Union votes to bring back replaceable phone batteries
41–50 of 622 posts
Re: European Union votes to bring back replaceable phone batteries
#42Earlier quoted context omitted.
I wish you were right but I have zero faith that Apple would ever willingly follow through with this. A depleted battery is an opportunity for them to sell people on a new phone who don't realize they can get the battery replaced. It also totally goes against their whole ethos of non-repair. Mandating USB C was easier because Apple already did that with the Macbooks, so it wasn't that big of a leap. Removable batteri…
The same Apple that is prepping to open up to sideloading right now?
From your lips to God's ears...
Re: European Union votes to bring back replaceable phone batteries
#43The problem is not really the battery anymore, it's the software mainly. It's all closed source and is often deprecated before the hardware is dead. Then the manufacturer makes it hard to unlock bootloaders; keeps drivers closed source and effectively bricks the device. For recurring sales are the backbone of modern economy so we must force obsolescence. Why would you want to replace a battery in a useless device? Pl…
> Please, EU: bring a law that forces manufacturers to release their drivers / firmware whenever they stop updating a digital device.
I wish I could upvote this more.
It's a crime how I had to throw away in the past perfectly usable devices because they were forced into obsolescence.
Re: European Union votes to bring back replaceable phone batteries
#44Cool. The manufacturers will figure out a way to make nice phones with a longer lifetime. Because the EU forces them to.
I wish you were right but I have zero faith that Apple would ever willingly follow through with this. A depleted battery is an opportunity for them to sell people on a new phone who don't realize they can get the battery replaced. It also totally goes against their whole ethos of non-repair. Mandating USB C was easier because Apple already did that with the Macbooks, so it wasn't that big of a leap. Removable batteri…
Not so long ago some people claimed apple would rather leave the EU market than implement USB-C or open up the app store.
They complied (or are in the process of complying) with these regulations.
Afaik the proposed battery act allows either swappable batteries or a minimum "lifetime".
Re: European Union votes to bring back replaceable phone batteries
#45I wonder what is the definition of easily removable and replaceable. Does popping a few screws and using a specialized tool qualifies as easy? What about re-sealing the device after to keep the waterproof rating?
There's nothing to reseal, it's just a simple rubber gasket. Waterproofing is not some rocket science complicated thing that requires magic.
Usually when they write these laws they say something like "replaceable using commonly available and inexpensive tools".
Re: European Union votes to bring back replaceable phone batteries
#46I still do not agree with that rule. Replacable batteries are at odds with water tightness. I would have bought more phones if mine didn't survive water to a great extent. I think instead the regulation should focus on making parts available and phones reasonably easy to repair. This will most likely include switching out seals, which are needed for the protection from water.
I think batteries can technically be submerged in water and discharged safely but it's an engineering challenge. As long as the rest of the phone is waterproof I think we are okay.
Re: European Union votes to bring back replaceable phone batteries
#47Pretty sure I read somewhere that small devices like phones and tablets are exempted. Thanks for nothing.
First paragraph in the article: "Among the many changes, the new rules would require batteries in consumer devices like smartphones to be easily removable and replaceable."
Re: European Union votes to bring back replaceable phone batteries
#48The tradeoff for sealed batteries was significantly improved ingress protection, larger charge capacity, and lighter weight.
The market spoke and nobody seems to really care that much about user replaceable batteries except a vocal minority.
Re: European Union votes to bring back replaceable phone batteries
#49I wish there were better approaches to solving the problems around replacing batteries. This solution has downsides in terms of size (extra material required to surround the battery) and waterproofness. I like the features that will have to trade off against replaceable batteries. I wish there were more opportunities for creative solutions to ewaste rather than the specific outcome being regulated.
Cameras have been weatherproof with replaceable batteries for years, it's called gaskets.
>Cameras have been weatherproof
They usually can resist some splashes. Not in any way comparable with modern phones.
Re: European Union votes to bring back replaceable phone batteries
#50The problem is not really the battery anymore, it's the software mainly. It's all closed source and is often deprecated before the hardware is dead. Then the manufacturer makes it hard to unlock bootloaders; keeps drivers closed source and effectively bricks the device. For recurring sales are the backbone of modern economy so we must force obsolescence. Why would you want to replace a battery in a useless device? Pl…
Yes but replaceable batteries are a good start and a more pressing issue. A phone with a 4+ year old battery is useless even if you have all the software for it.
Not my experience… I replaced my iPhone 6 because it was slow, not because battery was bad
And since 2018 I have iPhone XR, and the battery is fine still. So is the phone speed. I’m not changing it anytime soon