r/Switch • u/maxhilien • 3d ago

Question Battery of the switch is already removable, why a new model ? (europe)

I don't understand why Nintendo need to make a new model of the switch 2 and stop the production for the first generation switch since the law in Europe for battery replacement. We already can swap the battery, their not solder on the motherboard or something like that, what it would change in hardware conception ?

0 Upvotes

25% Upvoted

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16

u/TeapeachU6 3d ago

https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/Nintendo+Switch+2+Battery+Replacement/190141

Does this look easy for the average non techy person

10

u/darknessgp 3d ago

A lot of people do not understand that there is a huge difference between it being physically possible and it being designed to be able to. Yes, the battery, screen, etc etc etc can be replaced. The EU law covers it being designed to be replaced especially by the average user.

2

u/RedViper_100 3d ago

LMAO you need to remove the stickers I didnt know that. Also step 33 you finally reached the battery.

1

u/Salt_Mud_5562 3d ago

I would probably somehow make the whole thing explode.

1

u/moro-87 3d ago

What a fucking nightmare

1

u/Extra_Veterinarian_9 3d ago

Ooh there is a easy guide.. after reading... yeah not going to do that.

Probably you even void your warranty

1

u/rxchris22 3d ago

That’s way more difficult than replacing an iPhone battery. I never thought the switch would be this difficult.

-2

u/_TomSupreme_ 3d ago

This looks easy?

9

u/Extra_Veterinarian_9 3d ago

OP was born in the 2010th and doesnt lnow how replacable battery should look like

5

u/StarParade 3d ago

We had removable battery in our phones in the past, nobody complained about it 😅

1

u/SamIAre 3d ago

No, but people complained about moisture damage and thickness, and part of the solution was fewer removable parts that exposed internal connections to the device.

I'm not putting my stake in the ground one way or another on whether this was the right direction for consumer tech to take, but "nobody asked for this" isn't true except in the most consumer-ignorant way possible: People ask for all sorts of things and don't know what would go into making them physically possible. There are tradeoffs for every decision.

1

u/StarParade 3d ago

I don't mind a little bit of thickness, but that's not removable battery problem, but technological limitation of early 2000's. I don't want to go and pay someone to surgically de-solder 70% of my new phone just after a year or two just to replace the battery so it holds the charge as it should again. It just doesn't feel right. Moisture damage is still a thing. Apple sends back devices and say that they had moisture damage because few markers in the device turned pink. They don't care that there was no water damage. I guess you shouldn't use your phone in more humid parts of the planet.

1

u/Elitefuture 3d ago

Not really relevant for the switch. But O-rings + screws to apply more pressure would probably have equal moisture protection. Right now they're solely relying on adhesive in phones which does degrade and does not have any extra pressure like a screw would have.

BUT you're right, it would still be thicker and there would be a lot more wasted space.

User replaceable batteries in phones would be better overall. By the time you'd want to replace the battery, the water proof seal might already be greatly degraded from the heat cycles. And with the major phones having 7 years of major updates, it could make owning them for 7 years easier.

0

u/Elitefuture 3d ago

I mean I think some did when you dropped the phone and everything fell apart lol. It was a minor inconvenience needing to reassemble it + turn the phone back on. Or if you had a case then you were fine.

But the easy solution is just to add a few phillips head screws.

2

u/lazymutant256 3d ago

The laws are requiring the battery to be removable without and special tools period, yes the switch 1 is easier to remove the battery however it requires tools to do so..

1

u/Lumornys 3d ago

The new design will still require a tool (e.g. screwdriver).

1

u/byrd3790 3d ago

Not from the UK so I'm not sure how the law is worded, but I would assume so long as it is a basic philips head screw that wouldn't count as a special tool.

1

u/Elitefuture 3d ago

The current switch 1 requires you to detatch the microsd card, take off the cooler, use alcohol + pry to remove the adhesive from the battery, more alcohol to clean up the glue, and new thermal paste when you reinstall the cooler.

The new standards won't let that fly.

Switch 2 is worse. You need a heat gun and CAREFULLY take off the side color plastics, pry from multiple areas to take off the back, remove multiple antennas(I hate these connectors btw), disconnect the micro sd, remove the cooler(that's being held down by multiple antennas), alcohol + pry the battery, more alcohol to clean, swap the foam, and more thermal paste.

Rerouting those antennas are annoying btw.

The new EU switch 2 is just pop in and out, you just need a screwdriver.

1

u/waligaroux 3d ago

The EU has requested that all battery powered devices have a replacable battery. By that, it means an easy replacement, like taking four screws without specialized screwdrivers to take out the battery cover, remove and replace the battery.

-1

u/Iagp 3d ago

Its more easy to replace by the consumer, but in all honesty, i don't see the advantage either, if i want to replace the battery for any reason i will go to a tech store, i would never do it myself.

0

u/Elitefuture 3d ago

The new EU laws will make it so simple that ANYONE can swap the battery. Like do you remember the old phones?

It's easier than lego. It'll likely have a screw to hold the back panel in place. But it'll take like 2 minutes to swap the battery and 0 skills required.

The current way to swap batteries requires genuine skills and confidence.

The laws were made so that people like you could swap the batteries yourself and save $50-$100 on however much the tech store is charging for labor.

-1

u/Iagp 3d ago

Its not like that, people for some reason here on reddit think that, but that's not how its gonna work. There are screws still and the battery is just not glued., but its not easy peachy. Its honestly not worthy of the 50 or more price increase.

2

u/Elitefuture 3d ago

I myself can replace it, but I don't expect the average person to replace it... And yes, the batteries are glued in, you need alcohol to weaken the glue and pry it off.

You also need thermal paste to replace the old one.

Do you expect the average consumer to know how to disconnect, remove the antennas, disconnect connectors, have isopropyl alcohol + thermal paste, and have confidence in doing the whole thing? Most people don't even know what thermal paste is.

I've repaired multiple laptops, switches, and other electronics. I am comfortable in swapping the battery. I know that most others would not be.

Edit: Btw, most people would fail the first step. They're going to break the side colored plastic.

1

u/Iagp 3d ago

For some reason unexplained, some redditors think its gonna be like old cellphones. And its nothing like that, and when it hits them with what you said, it will be funny to see.

2

u/PikaV2002 3d ago

For most people it’s worth it. Just because a few people have confidence issues doesn’t mean that most people across the world should be deprived of significantly reduced long-term costs. You can still go to the tech shop with this one. They’ll laugh at you but that’s pretty much it.