Smartphone makers don't bother to comply with EU repairability requirements • Hacker News Board

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

#91

Post by maccard » Mon, Sep 07, 2026, 3:42 PM UTC

ajsnigrutin wrote: post #69

heisenbit wrote: post #66

I'm wondering whether it is now time for regulators to pressure mobile phone companies to install longer life batteries. There is not really an incentive to prolong device life for manufacturers and when I look at recent progress on the car industry and utility battery side there is imho. potential.

Batteries always have a limited lifetime. "back in the day" we had waterproof phones with user replacable batteries, you could just buy another battery and replace it yourself. I have no idea why we can't do this now.

Were they waterproof? I certainly don’t remember my Nokia 3210 being even splash resistant.

> I have no idea why we can’t do this now

For better worse I think the answer is quite simple - a combo of ease of manufacturing, a long term trend of slimmer devices that is broadly supported by customer behaviour, and an extra place to suggest a device upgrade instead of a repair. You’re more than able to get pretty much any smartphone battery replaced with a manufacturer similar spec these days, and people still choose not to do so.

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

#92

Post by maccard » Mon, Sep 07, 2026, 3:43 PM UTC

gmueckl wrote: post #57

philistine wrote: post #56

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

Isn’t that the case already for most devices? I can pay £80 and have a guy show up in a van and replace the battery in my iPhone in his van in 30 minutes or so.

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

#93

Post by maccard » Mon, Sep 07, 2026, 3:44 PM UTC

streetfighter64 wrote: post #35

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

Powerbank: Works with all phones, Doesn't require you to shut down and take your phone apart, Can be charged with a regular phone charger. Spare battery: ???

I really, really don’t want to carry a second clunky device around with me.

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

#94

Post by oblio » Mon, Sep 07, 2026, 3:45 PM UTC

WarmWash wrote: post #72

oblio wrote: post #62

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Hint hint to what? South Korea is a very dynamic, tech heavy country and it hasn't managed to push any software product as a market leader. The EU is bigger, but it's fractured, so functionally it's basically 2-3x South Korea in terms of "software power". And that's not enough to compete with the much larger US juggernaut. Only China has managed to hold its own by simply banning US software all together. I'm actually…

Europe had the opportunity to create a silicon valley 30 years ago. They fumbled it so badly that most euro tech talent went to the US and worked or even founded their companies there. They still have not (and likely never will) implement the general reforms needed to create fertile grounds for tech to compete with the US. If the current EU mindset existed 150 years ago, they would have banned steam engines because t…

> Europe had the opportunity to create a silicon valley 30 years ago.

I really like history but nothing like this come to mind, I'd be happy to read about it, what exactly did they do/not do?

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

#95

Post by oblio » Mon, Sep 07, 2026, 3:47 PM UTC

maccard wrote: post #92

gmueckl wrote: post #57

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

Isn’t that the case already for most devices? I can pay £80 and have a guy show up in a van and replace the battery in my iPhone in his van in 30 minutes or so.

Yes, and a lot of that happened in preparation for this specific EU directive.

This happens a lot, see Samsung and Apple announcing more years of security updates and feature updates, Apple announcing the switch to USB-C for the iPhone.

Once it's clear the EU will not budge, some big companies will just switch over in advance, other companies will lag.

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

#96

Post by 8note » Mon, Sep 07, 2026, 3:49 PM UTC

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.

this is the first time ive heard the europeans indicted over not wanting ai child porn, and that the US is better than Europe for trying to tackle it

privacy rights, standardization of cables, and monopoly busting are also pretty good things.

the real question is why americans havent pushed back against their new feudal lords to carve out the same rights they did against the old ones

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

#97

Post by oblio » Mon, Sep 07, 2026, 3:49 PM UTC

streetfighter64 wrote: post #35

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

Powerbank: Works with all phones, Doesn't require you to shut down and take your phone apart, Can be charged with a regular phone charger. Spare battery: ???

I would be more optimistic but I ordered some pretty solid power banks from Anker, which should be a top notch power bank manufacturer.

Both types of products from them were recalled after about a month for being fire hazards.

I imagine it's not universal but it really made me question the product category.

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

#98

Post by 8note » Mon, Sep 07, 2026, 3:52 PM UTC

tvbusy wrote: post #44

eloisant wrote: post #40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't need to be able to swap a spare battery like we did 15 years ago. However when your battery is old, and drains fast, it's really nice to be able to order a new one and easily change it by removing 4 screws. Not having to perform surgery on your phone, heating it to remove glue, etc.

I'll never forget the feeling when you get an old phone, replace the battery and it's like brand new again. People no longer need to replace their phone every year anymore so being able to just replace the screen and battery makes the device practically brand new.

I was expecting the bew folding screen to be really easy to replace, given that its basically floating behind a frame, but turns out no! its actually so built into the frame as to be a full body replacement with all the accompanying surgery

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

#99

Post by nradov » Mon, Sep 07, 2026, 3:53 PM UTC

heisenbit wrote: post #66

I'm wondering whether it is now time for regulators to pressure mobile phone companies to install longer life batteries. There is not really an incentive to prolong device life for manufacturers and when I look at recent progress on the car industry and utility battery side there is imho. potential.

Are there battery chemistries available which would allow for significantly longer life without sacrificing cost, power capacity, size, or safety? Generally the best way to prolong battery life is for the consumer to never fully charge or discharge.

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

#100

Post by nradov » Mon, Sep 07, 2026, 3:58 PM UTC

streetfighter64 wrote: post #35

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

Powerbank: Works with all phones, Doesn't require you to shut down and take your phone apart, Can be charged with a regular phone charger. Spare battery: ???

Having spare batteries was so great with the old Samsung smartphones. I usually kept a spare on the charger and swapped it as I headed out the door. It took like 10 seconds, just pop the back cover off.