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All phones sold in the EU to have replaceable batteries from 2027

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Re: All phones sold in the EU to have replaceable batteries from 2027

#971

Post by noIdeaTheSecond »

antifarben wrote: post #781

I'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 have a Fairphone 5 which I'm very happy with. Replaceable battery and security updates for 8 years

Re: All phones sold in the EU to have replaceable batteries from 2027

#972

Post by usrusr »

HenrikB wrote: post #805
cyberrock wrote: post #793

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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…

Agree - I read this as it will be easy to replace the battery when it reaches its end of life and no longer can hold my charge. It will still take time to replace it, but that's okay since it'll only be done once every few years. It's not meant to re-introduce swappable battery packs, so you won't be able to carry spares on long trips etc.

The trade-off between having the field-swappability feature and going the lean way (it's not just cheaper, also smaller, lighter, less to go wrong) shifts though: when regulation forces companies to go 20% of the way towards field swappability, more will take the bet that there might be a niche worth serving at the 100% mark.

I still would not expect this to happen for mainstream phones, but other devices? There will more field swappability with the regulation that enforces layman replaceability then without.

Re: All phones sold in the EU to have replaceable batteries from 2027

#973

Post by tracker1 »

numpad0 wrote: post #794
8note wrote: post #735

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> e.g a phone with a glued battery can have 5000mAh but the same phone with a more durable battery connector can only be 4500mAh. alternatively, i can trade more bulk for more battery. if its got a connector, why cant i put a bigger batter in the slot that sticks out?

That brings back memories! Yes, many devices before iPhone had normalized internal batteries indeed had aftermarket extended batteries. They would come with matching bulged back covers to fit the significantly oversized battery.

And it was pretty great... No to mention the shell swaps, etc...

Re: All phones sold in the EU to have replaceable batteries from 2027

#974

Post by snowwrestler »

jmaw wrote: post #960
snowwrestler wrote: post #944

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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…

Headlamps for sensitive applications will ALWAYS involve a replaceable or external battery. Can't have your light going out when you are in a dangerous situation. When I used to rock climb, I always kept 3x AAA's taped to the strap in case the one I had in died. Never needed to use them, but made me much more confortable.

A lithium ion headlamp plus power bank does the same thing for the same weight and more flexibility. You can also charge phone, InReach, cameras. You can decide what is most important use of power. That’s the standard these days.

Another approach is to bring 2 charged headlamps. Again, same weight as an old headlamp + 3AAAs. But covers additional failures like breaking or dropping.

Re: All phones sold in the EU to have replaceable batteries from 2027

#975

Post by ssl-3 »

jolmg wrote: post #626
catlikesshrimp wrote: post #621

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As long as those unused batteries you can find are fresh a 15 year old unused battery would be doa

There's an aftermarket for phone batteries. They're new batteries produced by what I imagine are unaffiliated manufacturers. As long as the phone is popular enough, there should be enough market for manufacturers to make new batteries.

I'm not sure which I like more: A no-name lithium polymer battery going through its chemical charging process near me every night while I sleep, or a no-name lithium polymer battery doing the same thing somewhere else in the house every night while I sleep.

Both seems pretty non-ideal if it decides to go exothermic and start a fire. Neither will be actionable (what, I'm going to sue a nameless company in China?).

I am sure of this: Until this battery chemistry is sorted out to be unilaterally safer (which may never actually happen), or we switch to something else that is safer, or third-party manufacturers start bringing their face to the table instead of deliberately hiding in the shadows, I'm sticking to batteries that are sold by the company that made my phone.

I don't have room in my life to save a few dollars by buying cheap lipos from unknowable sources. There's too many corners that can be cut to save on process expense and QC, and they far too often are cut.

And to that end: A standard, legislated promise of 5 years of availability from sounds a lot better than what we have today.

Re: All phones sold in the EU to have replaceable batteries from 2027

#976

Post by dwaite »

metabagel wrote: post #449
wincy wrote: post #255

Earlier quoted context omitted.

With all due respect, I can buy a kit on iFixit for $55 for an iPhone 16 pro max, including the battery . I’ve replaced my iPhone battery before, aside from the glue being a bit sticky so needing a heat gun it isn’t that difficult.

Heat gun? This isn't the type of consumer-friendly battery replacement which the EU is looking for.

It is hard to tell what the EU is actually looking for when you compare against the meter stick of reality.

Even ignoring potential design impacts from transitioning from sealed batteries to ones padded with safety features to avoid harm to someone armed with a conductive screwdriver, I have to imagine there will be quite a few people who do not restore the device to its ip 68 rating.

So you risk people stockpiling batteries in case they need them later, and people who after repair increase the risk of them turning their phone into a pile of e-waste because they thought they could still get it wet. People also won't necessarily know the proper way to dispose of the old battery.

This compared to just having rules about needing to supply batteries which are replaceable by any appropriate state-licensed technician at cost for X number of years, and mandating the old batteries be properly recycled by said technicians.

Re: All phones sold in the EU to have replaceable batteries from 2027

#977

Post by dwaite »

Aachen wrote: post #231
brk wrote: post #147

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In a perfect world, sure. But people also want phones these days that are physically durable, have some degree of waterproofing/water resistance, maximum battery life, etc. Many of the demands and expectations of a modern phone aren't easily compatible with a replaceable battery design that can withstand the incompetence of the average end user.

> some degree of waterproofing/water resistance Can we have this discussion once ? In this thread alone, there's like 50 instances of people making this claim and each time it takes about 20 minutes before at least one person replies that it's not the case, after which no refutals are posted. I'm happy to learn it is false if it is (I never had a phone that I trusted to be waterproof to any degree so I don't have fir…

> (I'm not only taking the person's word for it: the device is also IP certified as waterproof 30 mins at 1m depth)

Many expect phones these days to be the more stringent IP 68, this would correspond to a device with the lesser water resistance of IP X7.

That phone only needs to be restored to IP X5 to handle usage in rain.

So it is great they got it (somewhat? completely?) restored, but it was a device with less water resistance than many flagships phone today, tested with a lower level of water resistance than it was originally rated for.

Re: All phones sold in the EU to have replaceable batteries from 2027

#978

Post by simgt »

kstrauser wrote: post #632
manquer wrote: post #534

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is not correct. There is no exemption for Apple devices You seem to referencing from a older exemption for self serviceability if your smartphone can do 1,000 cycles and retain 80% battery. Specifically - B 1.1 (1) (c) (ii) (b) . Here is the link - https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CEL... Article 11 of the new regulation ( https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CEL... ) c…

Your link says otherwise. From the Article 11 link, ANNEX II, A.1.1.(5): (a) From 20 June 2025, manufacturers, importers or authorised representatives shall ensure that the process for replacement of the display assembly and of parts referred to in point 1(a), with the exception of the battery or batteries , meets the following criteria: [...] [...] (c) From 20 June 2025, manufacturers, importers or authorised repres…

> at least 83 % of the rated capacity

I'd love to know how the fuck they ended up with that number.

Re: All phones sold in the EU to have replaceable batteries from 2027

#979

Post by fjjfnrnr »

Please add laptops to the list. I have never felt the need to replace a smartphone or tablet battery due to terrible software support in the long run

But laptops? Most 10 year old laptops would be fine for daily use, if only the battery would not be a hazard

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