European Union votes to bring back replaceable phone batteries

Post by malermeister » Fri, Jun 16, 2023, 6:58 PM UTC

Simulacra wrote: post #5

adaml_623 wrote: post #3

Cool. 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…

Post by constantcrying » Fri, Jun 16, 2023, 6:58 PM UTC

eppp wrote: post #12

tallowen wrote: post #4

I 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.

I would make the weight trade in an instant to get replaceable batteries back. I dont see why waterproofness has to be sacrificed to get it though.

Post by noirbot » Fri, Jun 16, 2023, 6:59 PM UTC

refurb wrote: post #13

adaml_623 wrote: post #3

Cool. The manufacturers will figure out a way to make nice phones with a longer lifetime. Because the EU forces them to.

Or they just create one phone for the EU market and don't market the rest?

Post by eterevsky » Fri, Jun 16, 2023, 6:59 PM UTC

smn1234 wrote: post #16

danpalmer wrote: post #6

I love the EU's focus on consumer protections and I'm all for progressive policies on environmental issues, but this and the USB-C issue strike me as misguided, policies from people who aren't qualified to to make the decisions they are making, and aren't listening to experts. I'm glad we're getting USB-C on the iPhone, but it wasn't a huge problem and it was probably coming anyway in the next few years. But replacea…

I'd much rather be able to swap a charged battery for the drained one in my phone especially in such circumstances as when I'm in a foreign country and dependent on my phone (for e.g. safety, to get around) and there's not a iPhone cable or charge point around. It seems like a no brainer, certainly from a consumer benefit perspective. Using batteries as a mechanism for hardware upgrades is ridiculous, instead of the…

Post by iso1631 » Fri, Jun 16, 2023, 6:59 PM UTC

tallowen wrote: post #4

I 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.