Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

EU Exempts Apple Watch and AirPods from Battery Removal Requirements

mjtsai.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

21–30 of 72 posts

Re: EU Exempts Apple Watch and AirPods from Battery Removal Requirements

#21

Post by netsharc »

kalleboo wrote: post #15
illliillll wrote: post #7

This seems kind of obvious. How many Apple Watches and AirPods have ever become obsolete due to their batteries not being replaceable? I’d guess the number is pretty close to zero, these devices aren’t used for long enough for this to become a problem. If the goal was to sell more AirPods, not implementing “Find My” for them would’ve been a much better strategy.

My first gen AirPods became e-waste in 18 months due to the battery no longer lasting through a meeting. My AirPods Pro 2 have lasted a lot longer but I'm sure then they do die it will be due to the batteries.

Product idea: charging cables: snake the cable up to your AirPods while they're in your ears, use magnets to attach to the battery terminals and deliver juice.

But argh, I have a feeling the AirPods turn themselves off while being charged...

Re: EU Exempts Apple Watch and AirPods from Battery Removal Requirements

#23

Post by mg »

Wouldn't a "toxic waste tax" be better than all these individual regulations?

Have a sales tax on each product that corresponds to the toxicity of its components.

Exempt recycled materials from the tax so companies have an incentive to collect old parts and recycle them, preventing them from going to a landfill.

Re: EU Exempts Apple Watch and AirPods from Battery Removal Requirements

#24

Post by frereubu »

illliillll wrote: post #18
SomeUserName432 wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> How many Apple Watches and AirPods have ever become obsolete due to their batteries not being replaceable? Every single pair of AirPods I've had has died due to one of them not charging anymore. I assume it's the battery. No idea where/how/who looks into this though, so I've just bought new ones.

This is probably just your AirPods or the case getting dirty, doesn’t sound like a failing battery at all.

Yeah, I've taken both my iPhone and Airpods into an Apple Store a couple of times and they cleaned the lightning / internal charging ports for free when the charging started getting a bit shaky, and haven't had any issues since. I'm slightly bemused that people don't think of this - a colleague was talking about getting a whole new iPhone because the lightning charging was getting a bit unreliable, but taking it in to get the port cleaned entirely restored it.

Re: EU Exempts Apple Watch and AirPods from Battery Removal Requirements

#25

Post by elil17 »

illliillll wrote: post #7

This seems kind of obvious. How many Apple Watches and AirPods have ever become obsolete due to their batteries not being replaceable? I’d guess the number is pretty close to zero, these devices aren’t used for long enough for this to become a problem. If the goal was to sell more AirPods, not implementing “Find My” for them would’ve been a much better strategy.

My 6 year old Airpods Pro are barely chugging along at this point. I'm only getting a couple hours per charge.

Re: EU Exempts Apple Watch and AirPods from Battery Removal Requirements

#26

Post by SomeUserName432 »

illliillll wrote: post #18
SomeUserName432 wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> How many Apple Watches and AirPods have ever become obsolete due to their batteries not being replaceable? Every single pair of AirPods I've had has died due to one of them not charging anymore. I assume it's the battery. No idea where/how/who looks into this though, so I've just bought new ones.

This is probably just your AirPods or the case getting dirty, doesn’t sound like a failing battery at all.

I'll keep it in mind when these fail.

Re: EU Exempts Apple Watch and AirPods from Battery Removal Requirements

#28

Post by Ciantic »

GuestFAUniverse wrote: post #20

Electric toothbrushes are exempt? Why? We have several for our kids, with removable batteries from Oral-B. All are years old and still waterproof. And with that amount of voltage, where can there _ever_ be a "safety issue"? That is quackery! Sounds more like somebody lobbied successfully.

That is what I also wonder, who added that tootbrush statement there? Given that Oral-B has done replacable batteries for years, and they have dominant position, I'm thinkin that statement didn't come from lobbies. Maybe someone who are making the law is reasoning with itself or small group and didn't know that replacable batteries in toothbrushes are already a thing.

Re: EU Exempts Apple Watch and AirPods from Battery Removal Requirements

#30

Post by siim_osur »

Ciantic wrote: post #28
GuestFAUniverse wrote: post #20

Electric toothbrushes are exempt? Why? We have several for our kids, with removable batteries from Oral-B. All are years old and still waterproof. And with that amount of voltage, where can there _ever_ be a "safety issue"? That is quackery! Sounds more like somebody lobbied successfully.

That is what I also wonder, who added that tootbrush statement there? Given that Oral-B has done replacable batteries for years, and they have dominant position, I'm thinkin that statement didn't come from lobbies. Maybe someone who are making the law is reasoning with itself or small group and didn't know that replacable batteries in toothbrushes are already a thing.

You can asbolutely redesign the devices to fit the requirement.

It's absolutely a result of lobbying.

Post reply on HN