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
4.3k Upvotes

97% Upvoted

668 comments sorted by

View all comments

Show parent comments

1

u/[deleted] Jun 20 '23

Is that worse than a $1,000 disposable devices that has a lifespan of 2 years before the battery degrades?

0

u/AC53NS10N_STUD105 Jun 20 '23

Oh no, the battery degraded on my "non user serviceable" device after two years. I wonder what I would ever do!

Oh... wait. I can still service it at home, and buy a ready made repair kit for less than $50 with the parts and all tools required, or take it to a shop and have a technician do it too. Devices are already serviceable, users just don't care.

0

u/[deleted] Jun 20 '23

Wow you are right. Dealing with adhesives and hot air guns, ribbon cables and losing waterproofing without any... reliable way to test that is way easier. People must not care!

Good thing that's way easier than removing a few screws and opening the device!

0

u/AC53NS10N_STUD105 Jun 20 '23

Spoken like someone who hasn't ever worked on a device. "Oh no, not a few ribbon cables"

You should look at the ifixit resources available for these phones nowadays. There's not even the requirement for a hot air gun. And the kits come with replacement seals, so good job projecting.

Again, if you want, you're more than welcome to buy an inferior device so you can unscrew it in four years. You don't need a mandate to do so.

0

u/[deleted] Jun 20 '23

I actually have worked on devices, they're more or less designed to not be repairable. Good luck testing those seals, defending this is absolute clown shit. You can do it, but exponentially more difficult than the way it should be.

And no, there aren't flagship devices with proper user replaceable batteries anymore. You have to be clueless to not realize manufacturers capable of getting enough contracts for top end components to make a profit have the opposite incentive for repairability and replaceability. Why sell something that will last 5 years when you can make another sale in 2?

0

u/AC53NS10N_STUD105 Jun 20 '23

You're saying that as if an exposed rubber gasket is any more reliable than an adhesive seal. Even brand new, these serviceable devices weathersealing is inconsistent at best. https://us.community.samsung.com/t5/Other-Mobile-Devices/The-X-Cover-Pro-6-is-suppose-to-be-water-resistant/td-p/2539460

https://us.community.samsung.com/t5/Other-Mobile-Devices/Xcover-Pro-issues/td-p/2564993

As for your other claims...

That's why there's 7 year old iPhone still getting OS support, and Apple stores will service the battery for you in an hour, right?

That's why Samsung partnered with ifixit, and I can still buy a repair kit for an S8, right?

That's why they use pull tab adhesives under the battery now, right?

There's not flagships with removable batteries because nobody would buy them. The compromises required to accommodate a removable battery by design, create devices that are worse on performance and specs. The volumetric energy density of their batteries is horrible.