Smartphones, Other Portable Electronics, Will Need to Have Replaceable Batteries by 2027
July 13th, 2023Most portable electronics are engineered to make replacing worn out rechargeable batteries very difficult. The goal has nothing to do with water resistance or, “What consumers demand,” and everything to do with causing people to buy new devices when the batteries will no longer hold a charge.
I wear a Casio G-Shock G-9300 Mudman watch that I bought in 2012. It has a stainless steel back that can be removed by loosening four Phillips-head screws. (Not some dumb ass thing that’s intended to keep people from fixing their devices, Apple, god damn you.) It’s water resistant to 200 meters. So, tell me another one about how phones require glued backs to be water resistant. As for the look, it would be trivial to design the phones so people can clip vanity backs over the steel backs.
I shouldn’t even get started on this insane issue. I’ve been dealing with it for years because I can’t afford to buy a new whatever each time a battery wears out.
Anyway, rare good news.
Via: Android Authority:
In the middle of June, we shared a news report about the future of replaceable batteries in smartphones. That report focused on the European Parliament voting to enact a law forcing manufacturers of all battery-powered devices — including smartphones — to offer easily replaceable batteries.
This week, the European Council officially agreed to the new regulation. Now, the only step left is for the European Council and Parliament to sign on the dotted line. Once they do, the clock starts ticking: any manufacturer wanting to sell phones in the EU must ensure those phones have replaceable batteries by 2027.
