Removable batteries in smartphones will be mandatory in the EU starting in 2027 • Hacker News Board

Re: Removable batteries in smartphones will be mandatory in the EU starting in 2027

#311

Post by capitainenemo » Mon, May 04, 2026, 5:06 PM UTC

conk wrote: post #266

badsectoracula wrote: post #191

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Unfortunately it is from 2022, meaning no OS upgrades. I think the next mandatory laws EU should pass is that manufacturers should either allow people to upgrade/replace the OS by themselves or provide mandatory upgrades for the next decade (i don't care how the manufacturers handle it, that's up to them, but the easiest way out of such a law is to allow people upgrade/replace the OS by themselves).

Why only one decade? I’m still running a 2012 Mac mini. Apple stopped updating Mac OS some time ago, but there are plenty of alternatives that can run on the bare metal. Hardware makers should be required to provide support for the life of the device (defined by customers still using the device), or provide a reasonable way to install 3rd party OS.

At least on Android, when my Samsung Galaxy Note (I loved that phone - replaceable battery, pressure sensitive stylus, IR blaster, OLED, audio jack, water resistant - they went downhill from there IMO) finally end of lifed, I just used the official Samsung tool to upload a community image on it. The process wasn't horrendously difficult. I don't know if people would do it, but it was a clear set of steps that even a tech novice could accomplish if following carefully.

Re: Removable batteries in smartphones will be mandatory in the EU starting in 2027

#312

Post by jamesnorden » Mon, May 04, 2026, 5:07 PM UTC

badsectoracula wrote: post #191

ratiolat wrote: post #44

Earlier quoted context omitted.

IP68, replaceable battery, phone jack, 5G: https://m.gsmarena.com/samsung_galaxy_xcover6_pro-11600.php

Unfortunately it is from 2022, meaning no OS upgrades. I think the next mandatory laws EU should pass is that manufacturers should either allow people to upgrade/replace the OS by themselves or provide mandatory upgrades for the next decade (i don't care how the manufacturers handle it, that's up to them, but the easiest way out of such a law is to allow people upgrade/replace the OS by themselves).

>Unfortunately it is from 2022, meaning no OS upgrades.

I like how you didn't even bother checking if that was true.

Re: Removable batteries in smartphones will be mandatory in the EU starting in 2027

#313

Post by retired » Mon, May 04, 2026, 5:07 PM UTC

manoDev wrote: post #243

elzbardico wrote: post #200

Earlier quoted context omitted.

External battery banks are a far superior solution now that almost everything has standardized on USB and we have power banks supporting high speed charging. They can be charged with the same power adapter you use to charge your phone, without the need of an extra docking thing. They can be used to charge any USB-chargeable device. They are not tied to your specific model, and thus you're not vendor locked with them,…

Lots of advantages, but one major downside: you can't pop the empty battery, put a new one and keep working. There's a reason professional devices (e.g. cameras) still have replaceable batteries.

I have a magnetic wireless power bank that I put on my phone and I can continue using it as normal.

Re: Removable batteries in smartphones will be mandatory in the EU starting in 2027

#314

Post by illusive4080 » Mon, May 04, 2026, 5:07 PM UTC

criddell wrote: post #297

I wish the EU would tackle standardization of tool batteries. It's so stupid that every brand has their own battery system.

I wish they would stop trying to over regulate everything. If you want to use your tool battery in another brand just get an adapter.

Re: Removable batteries in smartphones will be mandatory in the EU starting in 2027

#315

Post by jorams » Mon, May 04, 2026, 5:08 PM UTC

kjkjadksj wrote: post #278

jorams wrote: post #149

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I am not allowed to replace it on my own as it would invalidate the five year long guarantee provided by the manufacturer. Why is this stuff not considered as well? They're the ones paying for repairs, so it doesn't seem that unreasonable? That said: If you can prove the car is being maintained according to the manufacturer's specifications they can't require you to go to a brand dealership. That's just not necessa…

Recalls don’t require you to have had maintained the car at the dealership previousy

A recall means the manufacturer shipped a faulty product. If you can prove you received a faulty product such requirements also don't apply.

Re: Removable batteries in smartphones will be mandatory in the EU starting in 2027

#316

Post by Aurornis » Mon, May 04, 2026, 5:08 PM UTC

alt227 wrote: post #140

Aurornis wrote: post #24

As others have mentioned this is for phones with batteries that can’t survive a reasonable number of cycles. That’s a reasonable exemption, in my opinion. I don’t want to pay the extra penalties of reduced structural rigidity and water tightness for a battery that I don’t need to replace for 3-4 years anyway. I do wish one manufacturer would make a flagship phone with replaceable battery so all of the uncompromising…

> a battery that I don’t need to replace for 3-4 years anyway. This is not just about battery replacement. I used to keep several fully charged batteries stocked in my rucksack whenever I went hiking or anywhere else that was remote. After a day of taking photos in the wild its nice to be able to just chuck in a fresh batttery and off you go. I feel like this feature of phones was not only lost, but pretty much forgo…

> This is not just about battery replacement. I used to keep several fully charged batteries stocked in my rucksack whenever I went hiking or anywhere else that was remote.

There are several high end phones with removable batteries. You should buy one of them if this feature is important to you.

This movement to force everyone's phones to pay the costs of removable batteries to address these really niche use cases is not great.

Re: Removable batteries in smartphones will be mandatory in the EU starting in 2027

#317

Post by jbvlkt » Mon, May 04, 2026, 5:08 PM UTC

RedShift1 wrote: post #62

ratiolat wrote: post #44

Earlier quoted context omitted.

IP68, replaceable battery, phone jack, 5G: https://m.gsmarena.com/samsung_galaxy_xcover6_pro-11600.php

And 4 years old... I wouldn't buy this new

Better than average phone sold today. The only problem might be lack of android upgrades otherwise it is straight upgrade for most people. This is reason why replaceable battery is important. If you leave IT bubble people happily use ancient phones and do not need upgrades if battery is ok and there is space to save new photos.

Re: Removable batteries in smartphones will be mandatory in the EU starting in 2027

#318

Post by retired » Mon, May 04, 2026, 5:09 PM UTC

InsomniacL wrote: post #298

strictnein wrote: post #207

Earlier quoted context omitted.

These don't dangle or impede your use: https://www.anker.com/products/a1665-5k-ultra-slim-qi2-power...

just to note, wireless charging is very inefficient. From the page you linked: "Due to a 30% to 45% energy loss in battery cells and conversion circuitry, a fully charged 5,000 mAh power bank typically offers an estimated 2,750 to 3,500mAh to power devices"

Then use the supplied USB-C to USB-C cable for more efficient charging, while using the magnets to stick it to the back of your phone.

Re: Removable batteries in smartphones will be mandatory in the EU starting in 2027

#319

Post by realusername » Mon, May 04, 2026, 5:09 PM UTC

torginus wrote: post #293

badsectoracula wrote: post #191

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Unfortunately it is from 2022, meaning no OS upgrades. I think the next mandatory laws EU should pass is that manufacturers should either allow people to upgrade/replace the OS by themselves or provide mandatory upgrades for the next decade (i don't care how the manufacturers handle it, that's up to them, but the easiest way out of such a law is to allow people upgrade/replace the OS by themselves).

Phones should be like PCs - they give you the hardware, and you figure out what to install on it. Unfortunately Linux imo is partially to blame here - if they decided to do a stable driver ABI (don't hate me, this was the norm outside Linux and open source OSes), you could easily separate the OS and drivers and update the m separately.

The missing link here is ACPI, unlike on PC, the hardware doesn't describe what it has to the OS, making the task much harder.

The lack of standardization of handled devices is also another factor, they might look similar or even identical but they often are different per region and have some hardware revisions.

Android does have a separate driver partition nowadays but that doesn't help too much.

Re: Removable batteries in smartphones will be mandatory in the EU starting in 2027

#320

Post by capitainenemo » Mon, May 04, 2026, 5:09 PM UTC

torginus wrote: post #300

GuB-42 wrote: post #249

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It is also a rugged phone. So if you want to make a fair comparison with an iPhone, you have to put the iPhone in a case, resulting in a similar weight and thickness.

Yeah the first thing everyone does with their new iPhones is put them in a case - at that point thinness doesn't matter, Id argue Apple counts on it, as their phones are awkward to hold otherwise. Replaceable covers used to serve the same purpose.

Indeed. I've had my XCover 6 for 3½ years now. I've dropped it many times, on hard surfaces (like outdoor concrete/brick). I've undoubtedly been fortunate. the plastic has gouges in it. there's (small) scratches on the screen (some from my keys), but the screen is not cracked. When it is dropped the back and battery pop off, which I think helps dissipate the forces. BTW, for anyone trying to extend their phone life, I strongly recommend those magnetic USB connectors. Reduces wear and tear on the USB port, and is also kinda convenient for quick disconnect.