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Smartphone makers don't bother to comply with EU repairability requirements

theregister.com

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Re: Smartphone makers don't bother to comply with EU repairability requirements

#51

Post by philipallstar »

KaiserPro wrote: post #4

As its the EU and regulation, its time to trott out your hobby horse. So let me trot out mine: regulation is good so long as it is backed up by even handed, robust, transparent, quick and effective sanctions. the Online safety act is a good example of a bad law, which is enforced badly. The first big test (X producing industrial quantities of minors engaging in sexual activity) was failed. Had a small company produce…

> An example of good enforcement is the UK's scores on the doors, where the public can see what the standard is, and if they fall below a certain level, the food place is fined/shutdown/other until it improves.

> Another good example is NCAP ratings.

Worth noting that NCAP and Scores on the Doors are not regulators. NCAP is an industry body; SotDs is run by TripAdvisor.

Re: Smartphone makers don't bother to comply with EU repairability requirements

#53

Post by callc »

mschuster91 wrote: post #48
library8848 wrote: post #47

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Spare battery: remove empty battery, switch battery, you are back to 100% Powerbank: mess with cables, keep phone plugged until it's charged and wait If there is a market for spare batteries, there might be a market for external battery chargers as well > swap battery in the morning instead of charging, place empty battery on charger, repeat the next day

Spare batteries are a nightmare to handle. Far too easy to bend or have something short-circuit the pads, and you have to shut down and restart your phone. However, what is needed desperately is the ability to quickly change a degraded battery.

Spare batteries that are designed as internal batteries not to be easily swappable, yes.

Look at DSLR cameras: take out in 1 second, put in in 1 second, physically robust.

We absolutely can have the best of both worlds. We just need to align the smartphone manufacturers to user serviceability and right to repair… even if they go kicking and screaming since they decided their bottom line is most important.

Re: Smartphone makers don't bother to comply with EU repairability requirements

#54

Post by CorvusCrypto »

Enforcement can be better, but I'm gonna give grace given how recently it was imposed. It's easy to point at extreme levels of enforcement being a key part of any regulation, but I have seen the breadth of the EU's scope and what needs to be balanced. Quite often I find that nonaction against compliance violations falls into the following:

- Lack of resources

- Lack of real consumer impact

- Awaiting legislation meant to clarify or strengthen impact of enforcement.

The article to me doesn't offer enough to justify any shout of doing anything different at the moment, rather it's just that they failed an audit. If they failed an audit and coupled this to swaths of consumer complaints, sure, but every EU member has a clear agency for consumer complaint, and I don't buy it that it is hard for consumers to report violations, it is far more likely in this case that they just don't care for the violations this particular group cares more about (like the links to Temu. I suspect a consumer doesn't care if it actually works still in practice, but we'd need surveys to confirm).

Consumer-replaceable batteries will be one area that WILL be a hot issue for consumers, so I would bet we will see much stronger reaction once that rule comes into effect.

Re: Smartphone makers don't bother to comply with EU repairability requirements

#55

Post by oblio »

WarmWash wrote: post #23
noir_lord wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Sadly that mess had a political component, any attempt to regulate US big tech results in howls from over the Atlantic. Frankly, I'd prefer it if we just let them howl and said fuck it more but it's probably a good job I'm not making those decisions (and in honesty the picture is complex for companies that size/the politics).

Ironically the fact that the howls need to come from the other side of the Atlantic, rather than having any domestically, should tell anyone all they need to know about the situation.

> Ironically the fact that the howls need to come from the other side of the Atlantic, rather than having any domestically, should tell anyone all they need to know about the situation.

Europeans by and large don't care about American companies these days. They use American software products because frequently there are no alternatives. And most of the news about them are negative.

Re: Smartphone makers don't bother to comply with EU repairability requirements

#56

Post by philistine »

library8848 wrote: post #26

It's going to be cool to get user-replaceable batteries back in new phone releases. Depending how it goes I can see myself keeping a spare instead of a powerbank

The whole discussion on what the EU is doing has devolved into this idea that everyone will be forced to offer a backplate that pops out and a battery you can remove with your fingers.

The directive is far more complicated, and you will not see that at all.

Re: Smartphone makers don't bother to comply with EU repairability requirements

#57

Post by gmueckl »

philistine wrote: post #56
library8848 wrote: post #26

It's going to be cool to get user-replaceable batteries back in new phone releases. Depending how it goes I can see myself keeping a spare instead of a powerbank

The whole discussion on what the EU is doing has devolved into this idea that everyone will be forced to offer a backplate that pops out and a battery you can remove with your fingers. The directive is far more complicated, and you will not see that at all.

The regulation doesn't mean batteries have to be made swappable with just bare hands. Common tools and some simple, easily undoable gluing is still acceptable. It gets a battery replacement from a process that risks breaking glass parts, overheating components etc.. to something that can be done by a moderately skilled person with a moderately well stocked toolbox in an afternoon.

Re: Smartphone makers don't bother to comply with EU repairability requirements

#58

Post by epihelix »

herbst wrote: post #12

Does it really matter this early? What I expect from this is rather that at least a few producers get more repair friendly so I as consumer have the choice again. (Writing this on my first phone without easily changeable battery, I've tried for very long) So I as my families tech guru can give the right signals to my family and in a few years we see the actual change happen. Slowly but steadily

Companies don't really care about rules per se. They care about their risk appetite, and whether the consequences of their actions create risk above that appetite level.

The simple calculus is: will it cost me more to comply, or more to ignore? If a company chooses the more costly option, they are betraying their shareholders and being managed poorly.

If you do not fine early and often, you are almost mandating that companies ignore the legislation. If this continues for several years, then you almost make it impossible to turn around later and fine, as businesses will want to know what's changed now. You will create an impression of uncertainty and instability, which is the last thing businesses want, and the last thing you want to do to encourage investment.

If you just set and enforce the rules from the start, then everyone can relax, do the right thing and be happy about it. It's funny how rarely this actually seems to happen.

Re: Smartphone makers don't bother to comply with EU repairability requirements

#59

Post by WarmWash »

oblio wrote: post #55
WarmWash wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Ironically the fact that the howls need to come from the other side of the Atlantic, rather than having any domestically, should tell anyone all they need to know about the situation.

> Ironically the fact that the howls need to come from the other side of the Atlantic, rather than having any domestically, should tell anyone all they need to know about the situation. Europeans by and large don't care about American companies these days. They use American software products because frequently there are no alternatives. And most of the news about them are negative.

>They use American software products because frequently there are no alternatives

Hint hint

Re: Smartphone makers don't bother to comply with EU repairability requirements

#60

Post by cube00 »

s_dev wrote: post #16
KaiserPro wrote: post #4

As its the EU and regulation, its time to trott out your hobby horse. So let me trot out mine: regulation is good so long as it is backed up by even handed, robust, transparent, quick and effective sanctions. the Online safety act is a good example of a bad law, which is enforced badly. The first big test (X producing industrial quantities of minors engaging in sexual activity) was failed. Had a small company produce…

A lot of scores on the doors are often faked defeating their purpose. Helpful but not bullet proof. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8SO8KcfhJmc Old school methods like what McDonald's use, literally allow the customer to see in to the kitchen are very effective. Not always ideal for every type establishment but I've seen high end Indian restaurants even do it by having the POS at the back where you can see the kitche…

>Old school methods like what McDonald's use, literally allow the customer to see in to the kitchen are very effective.

Guess that's why the new refits have a giant wall to stop you seeing into the kitchen.

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