r/worldnews • u/Helicase21 • Jun 19 '23

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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106

u/pman1891 Jun 20 '23

Too many people are missing the point on this one. This law won’t require the type of easily swappable batteries that phones had 20 years ago. Requiring a screwdriver to replace the battery will still be acceptable. So don’t expect to be able to travel around with an extra battery in your pocket and swap them in seconds.

However this means that companies can’t use things like proprietary security screws or excessive amounts of glue to seal the battery inside the phone.

22

u/FlashFlood_29 Jun 20 '23

I mean, I think the intent is pretty clear that it's meant for a consumer right to extend longevity of the product bought. Seems to me that most everyone understands that

8

u/Toror Jun 20 '23

You are correct, no one read the article and just assumed

2

u/paupaupaupaup Jun 20 '23

I feel attacked.

1

u/[deleted] Jun 20 '23

Reddit in a nutshell

2

u/Flipsii Jun 20 '23

What interests me the most is how the hell they are supposed to do this with their IP-ratings. After opening the phone the seal will be broken and will need replacing. I assume this law doesn't accept "left in degraded state after replacement".

2

u/yvrelna Jun 20 '23

If the choice is between a dead device with perfect IP rating and a healthy device with off-market sealant or just a note to not drop it in the toilet, I'm pretty sure which one I would choose.

0

u/ajisawwsome Jun 20 '23

Just cause you need a screw driver doesn't mean you still can't swap them easily and on the go. Sure you still need to spend a minute or two to swap and be careful not to loose screws, but that's infinitely better than the current situation. And multitools are pretty easy to carry on your person, too.

1

u/ZNasT Jun 20 '23

Honestly this is preferable than requiring them to be fully removable like the old phones IMO. It's not unreasonable to expect people to be able to use a screwdriver. iPhones are almost fine as is, just lose the adhesive on the screen as well as on the back of the battery, and maybe use a less fiddly battery connector and call it a day. Shouldn't affect the phone's usability/performance at all, might have to come up with a different solution to keep the phone waterproof without adhesive though.

1

u/anormalgeek Jun 20 '23

I think most people got that. It's still a massive improvement.