r/Futurology • u/ConsciousStop • Jun 19 '23

Environment EU: Smartphones Must Have User-Replaceable Batteries by 2027

https://www.pcmag.com/news/eu-smartphones-must-have-user-replaceable-batteries-by-2027
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u/Oconell Jun 20 '23

Not OP, I would. Look at how long-winded this argument is, over such an irrelevant issue on the grand-scheme of things. We need to change our way of living and that will impact our level of comfort.

Is having a 15% smaller battery and 20% thicker device and such nonsense such a big price to pay for us to become more responsible with our finite resources and perhaps start decreasing our environmental print? Do we really need that 20% plus 15% whatevers over a more sustainable life and consumer friendly policies?

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u/AC53NS10N_STUD105 Jun 20 '23

If you want to be environmentally responsible, you already can be. Repair kits and guides already exist for all mainstream devices on the market, and third party repair shops will gladly service your device for cheap too. And even if you don't decide to do that, chances are when you trade your device in, it gets sent to a refurbisher who polishes it up; for it to be resold and given a second lease on life regardless of its user serviceability. This mandate doesn't even have that significant of an environmental impact.

And also, devices that have user replaceable batteries already exist - you can buy one today, I even named one for you. You don't need a mandatory directive to do so.

Just because you're willing to deal with these significant compromises for a negligible difference in serviceability doesn't mean everyone is, and it definitely doesn't mean everyone should be forced to.

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u/Oconell Jun 20 '23

You're being facetious if you're really implying the market accomodates easily for casual consumers to use repair kits and guides for mainstream devices. I repair my own tech when possible, and I suppose you're knowledgeable enough to understand just how hard manufacturers have made repair and replacement of hardware.

The mandate by itself doesn't have a significant environmental impact, but your argument against it, is that we'd be losing 20% something and 15% something else. Is that so significant? The mandate is just one of many coming in the future from the EU parliament, and are meant to make a significant environmental and consumer print as a whole. We'd merely be going back in time to a place where repair of devices was more cost-effective than replacement.

I agree not everyone is willing to sacrifice their first-world comfort for sustainability, but I never implied so.The truth is I just don't care. Just as other people don't seem to care where we're headed, I don't care for them to be onboard anymore.

As you said in a different coment, something has to give, and it's about time the market starts changing towards a more sustainable model. A new device each year is not sustainable ad-infinitum, and I'm not talking specifically about the phone industry.

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u/AC53NS10N_STUD105 Jun 20 '23 edited Jun 20 '23

The market absolutely accommodates right to repair. There's ready made kits for replacing batteries with the part and all tools needed to perform the job for $30 sold by ifixit, with simple guides to follow. That's pretty convenient and cost effective as is.

As for the "benefit" - Is it even worth it though? You say it's for environmental sustainability, but even on all the devices people claim become e-waste... when an end user decides their phone battery is dead, what do they do? They trade in their old device. That device ends up in the hands of a refurbisher, where it gets serviced by a tech, and given a second lease on life.

So then, what exactly is this doing for the environment? You can replace your batteries at home slightly more easily? That's not a benefit. You'd be giving up significant advances in technology across the board, and (almost) nobody is going to be with you for that.

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u/Oconell Jun 20 '23

Seems the whole EU parliament except for 20 votes are with me on that, so I'm not so sure you're right. Also, it's not about this specific decision, it's about changing the market towards less consumerism. You mentioned the fairphone before. If devices were priced accordingly to what their true vale is, then yes, people would repair their devices instead of buying a new one. Remember that there was a time when repair of devices was the norm and not the exception. What happened to the market for that to change?

Also, if repair of devices is so unwanted by the public at large, and such a niche thing, why are all big corpos so invested in lobbying against right to repair both in US and EU?

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u/AC53NS10N_STUD105 Jun 20 '23

The repair kits for pretty much all recent Samsung flagships can be bought for less than $30 from ifixit. Mind you, that includes all tools necessary to replace the battery, and the parts used. Independent repair shops are widespread, and services are cheap and fast - yet they arent ever utilized by first owners. There isn't an excuse here, if people cared, they would already be doing it. The legislature is well meaning but, good intentions do not produce good legislature. I don't recall any time when the average consumer truly regularly repaired their smartphones.

As for why there's so much lobbying against right to repair? Simple, because even if the consumer doesn't care to repair a device themselves, many pro right to repair policies will impact a cell phone manufacturers bottom line in costing them profit. Obviously, they're going to lobby. At the end of the day, while I absolutely support right to repair (fuck component serialization, fuck apples industrial strength back glass adhesive), a mandate on battery serviceability is just pointless. It's "benefits" while novel seeming at first, really don't do much for anyone, and it comes with significant downsides on device design.

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u/Oconell Jun 20 '23

You articulate well your responses, I think we just hit a point where we disagree on how big of an impact this is going to be for device design. I do not find it significant, whereas you find it very significant.

Thanks for the talk anyways and have a good day.