Hey, my phone has a replaceable battery.
It only took me four or so hours to replace it...
All phones sold in the EU to have replaceable batteries from 2027
941–950 of 1001 posts
Re: All phones sold in the EU to have replaceable batteries from 2027
#942I'm an exception for sure but I have not seen much innovation in the phone space that you'd genuinely make me buy a new phone. Yes, cameras are better now. But some phones had good cameras years ago. I bought new phones mainly because of battery decline and/or not getting security updates. If one of these will be solved, that might change my phone buying behaviour. I don't care whether a display is called "retina" ,…
> I'm an exception for sure You're not. This is a big reason why "tech" went so all-in on AI. The era of rapid innovation and rapid growth on phones is over. We hit "peak smartphone" in 2019-2020, look at a chart of iphone or Samsung models. Like a lightswitch they locked in on a specific design. Hell, the more curmudgeon-y will complain that phones have degraded since. Gone is the 3.5mm jack, gone is the SD card slo…
I think it's a bit silly to compare AI to an iPhone when it is clearly going to be so much more impactful.
Re: All phones sold in the EU to have replaceable batteries from 2027
#943Earlier quoted context omitted.
It's the exact same as with EVs. We COULD have an EV with a 200kWh battery that can go 1000km++ on a charge in -30C weather. But nobody really needs that beyond a few outliers. What we NEED is ubiquitous and easy charging. Going for a burger, it'll take 20 minutes for you to order, eat and walk out. On a 300kW charger in the parking lot you can in theory get up to 100kWh charged. Or less with a slower one. Even plugg…
But why put charges at burger shacks? For most people most of the time charge while you sleep. On trips charge along the highway. Every single store doesn’t need chargers, it’s a waste.
> For most people most of the time charge while you sleep.
Unless you're a 'garage orphan': no garage, driveway or parking pad, and have to park on the street.
* https://electricautonomy.ca/news/2019-06-24/solving-the-elec...
* https://www.theenergymix.com/garage-orphans-scramble-for-cha...
Apartments (either rental, or condo ownership) may have underground parking with a few slots for charging.
Re: All phones sold in the EU to have replaceable batteries from 2027
#944It’s been long enough that people of forgotten what’s it’s like. Cameras still have replaceable batteries, there are several benefits: I can have two (or more) batteries, if it runs out I just change it. I don’t need walk around with a USB battery pack and cable hanging off the device preventing me from using it properly. I can put the battery on charge somewhere and leave it, even if not completely secure, because j…
People do forget what it was like. Device battery life was way shorter and the manufacturer was incentivized to keep it that way because it sold more batteries.
Devices all had proprietary batteries. If I had 3 devices on me, I was carrying 3x extra batteries, one+ per device. My Nikon D1H required 5 huge proprietary batteries to cover a day of shooting sports. Plus a battery for my BlackBerry, plus batteries for my headlamp.
Devices were not waterproof except for a few expensive, complicated options. Upsell! My Canon waterproof camera came with a tube of silicon I had to dab on the battery compartment gasket every few times I charged it.
Today devices are lighter, more water resistant, and easier to charge in the field—just bring one power bank. And you often don’t have to power off or stop using the device while it’s charging.
This is not just a phone thing, even headlamps are moving toward a built-in battery for all the reasons above.
Re: All phones sold in the EU to have replaceable batteries from 2027
#945It’s been long enough that people of forgotten what’s it’s like. Cameras still have replaceable batteries, there are several benefits: I can have two (or more) batteries, if it runs out I just change it. I don’t need walk around with a USB battery pack and cable hanging off the device preventing me from using it properly. I can put the battery on charge somewhere and leave it, even if not completely secure, because j…
The final law just makes replacing batteries more accessible (i.e. no glue or special screws), but it doesn't mandate battery packs. Also some devices like hearing aids are exempt. I question whether battery packs would be a good thing to bring back now. USB power banks have 100% interchangeability among many device classes, which is something that not even dry cell batteries achieved. I can choose to leave the house…
There are standardized sizes for cylindrical Li-ion cells, and that's often what's inside battery packs. The majority of current mirrorless cameras, for example use battery packs that have two 18500 cells inside, but no two brands have compatible batteries. There are only bad reasons for the lack of compatibility.
I'd be happy if everything sized for it took standardized cylindrical Li-ion cells with protection circuits stuck on the ends. That's common for flashlights and rare for everything else.
Re: All phones sold in the EU to have replaceable batteries from 2027
#946Earlier quoted context omitted.
The fact that pretty much no phones have a replaceable battery says something. And it doesn't mean that all manufacturers are somehow colluding with each. The market is very competitive and pretty much every manufacturer decided the trade offs are not worth the benefit. If Samsung or Xiaomi or Google could sell you a better phone with a replaceable battery, they would. But everyone came to the conclusion that the tra…
The trade-off is basically having a thicker phone. Nobody except apple thus all manufacturers 6 month later want paper-thin phones. Never the actual consumers.
customer*
Re: All phones sold in the EU to have replaceable batteries from 2027
#947Earlier quoted context omitted.
Then don’t buy a phone from a company with a piss poor record of customer service. Just looking in maps, there are three Apple Stores within a 45 minute drive from where I live in central Florida. The situation is worse in my hometown in South GA admittedly, you have to drive 70 miles for same day service for an authorized repair place - mostly Best Buy.
Apple has now a great record of customer service?
Yes. Every since the first Apple Store opened.
Re: All phones sold in the EU to have replaceable batteries from 2027
#948Earlier quoted context omitted.
I don't think this is where peak battery tech ends up. At current capacities, batteries are becoming genuinely dangerous, and faster charging only amplifies the risk. Charging high-capacity cells outside a temperature-controlled charger is risky, and even reputable chargers shouldn't be left unattended — many workplaces ban it outright (it only takes one fire to make that policy). Phone batteries are the worst of it:…
It's the exact same as with EVs. We COULD have an EV with a 200kWh battery that can go 1000km++ on a charge in -30C weather. But nobody really needs that beyond a few outliers. What we NEED is ubiquitous and easy charging. Going for a burger, it'll take 20 minutes for you to order, eat and walk out. On a 300kW charger in the parking lot you can in theory get up to 100kWh charged. Or less with a slower one. Even plugg…
Yeah, ubiquitous slow charging stations more than anything else is really what's needed to make EVs practical for everyone.
They can be ubiquitous for anyone that owns a home which takes a large load off the need for public infrastructure. Adding more L2 chargers and even L1 chargers could easily cover anyone in apartments. And even if there's not quite enough, L3 chargers can quickly cover any gaps if you start running low and couldn't get a spot with a charger.
I think there is a too much focus on L3 chargers in general. For the cost of a single L3 charging station you can put in multiples of L1 and L2 chargers.
Re: All phones sold in the EU to have replaceable batteries from 2027
#949Earlier quoted context omitted.
Your experience is not at all what I see out there. Most people I know only get new phones because their battery will no longer get them through the day. They hate having to set up a new phone when their old one is totally fine other than the battery. For the people I know that do upgrade their phones regularly, they typically want to give their old phone to someone who would love a usable phone, but can't afford a n…
> Most people I know only get new phones because their battery will no longer get them through the day I don't disagree with this, but I also think it's because the battery often dies around the time most people would consider upgrading anyway. The battery isn't the only reason people upgrade, it's just a forcing factor. If batteries normally last 3-5 years, I don't think we're going to start seeing most people keep…
> the battery often dies around the time most people would consider upgrading anyway
Most people I know would prefer to just use the same phone they're familiar with until its physically not possible. They don't want to learn new things. They dont care about the latest features. It's an appliance; a means to and end and nothing more.
Re: All phones sold in the EU to have replaceable batteries from 2027
#950Earlier quoted context omitted.
It's the exact same as with EVs. We COULD have an EV with a 200kWh battery that can go 1000km++ on a charge in -30C weather. But nobody really needs that beyond a few outliers. What we NEED is ubiquitous and easy charging. Going for a burger, it'll take 20 minutes for you to order, eat and walk out. On a 300kW charger in the parking lot you can in theory get up to 100kWh charged. Or less with a slower one. Even plugg…
But why put charges at burger shacks? For most people most of the time charge while you sleep. On trips charge along the highway. Every single store doesn’t need chargers, it’s a waste.
"Most people" with EVs charge while they sleep, because right now it doesn't make as much sense to buy an EV if you're in the actual majority that does not have access to a garage you can install a charger in. That fact is one of the major things slowing EV adoption.