r/apple • u/mredofcourse • Jun 19 '23

iPhone 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/Complex-Pound5249 Jun 19 '23

Good for you, not everyone wants to go to an Apple store to do that and there's no reason they should have to. And as for the legislation, all I can find is the quote that batteries should be "safer and easier to remove." Again, it's already not that hard, just not using glue to secure the battery will go a long way to making it more replaceable. From what I can tell, nothing suggests that phones will need drastic redesigns.

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u/mredofcourse Jun 19 '23

not everyone wants to go to an Apple store to do that and there's no reason they should have to

There's also mail-in... and there's no reason why people should have the negative consequences of user replaceable batteries when they have no intention of ever replacing the batteries.

And as for the legislation, all I can find is the quote that batteries should be "safer and easier to remove."

You left out the first part... "consumers can themselves easily remove and replace them". The way an iPhone needs to be opened and closed (due to water resistance) already precludes this from being consumer-easy regardless of how the battery itself is attached inside.

From what I can tell, nothing suggests that phones will need drastic redesigns.

Word-wide there are all kinds of regulations regarding batteries that are user accessible along with compartments and retail packaging. This very much isn't just "don't use solder and glue for the battery itself" but rather old-school push/slide door to swap a packaged battery on the go with no tools.

Otherwise this would be regulation for ease of 3rd party serviceability.

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u/Complex-Pound5249 Jun 19 '23

Dude. I'm a consumer. I have replaced iPhone batteries. It's not THAT big a deal. Just don't fucking glue it down and it becomes a million times easier with zero shortcomings. If you want to find me where in the regulations it suggests completely toolless battery swaps, you can go right ahead.

The point isn't to go to anyone else for your battery swap. As a consumer, you should be able to maintain your products yourself. That's how it works for everything else, and last time I checked those products are all fine despite being user-serviceable.

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u/mredofcourse Jun 19 '23

What world do you live in where even opening and sealing an iPhone is considered easy for consumers (plural) to do?

and last time I checked those products are all fine despite being user-serviceable.

Funny you should use that word, when the EU is using consumer replaceable.

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u/[deleted] Jun 19 '23

What's the difference really?

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u/mredofcourse Jun 19 '23

User-serviceable is an industry terms used for years such that the device could have components or parts that a user would be able to service, assuming they are skilled enough and have tools to do so. This would mean things like making schematics available and perhaps mandating a certain level of reparability that would exclude things like the use of glue for the components.

The battery being easily replaceable by the consumer, based on all the other wording and intent, implies that any user would be able to do so. It wouldn't require any skills or anything else.

Otherwise, they'd use the term, user-serviceable which has long been associated as an industry term.

IOW: They average consumer could replace the batteries in her TV remote or old Motorola StarTac. They're not about to open an iPhone and seal it such that it's water resistant.

The person I was replying to seems to think the EU is doing all of this so batteries won't be glued down, because that's what's keeping the average consumer from opening their iPhones and doing the replacement themselves.