Do you miss phones with replaceable batteries? By 2027, you won't anymore because, by law, almost every smartphone will have them again.

TL;DR

  • The European Council has ended its adoption procedure for rules related to phones with replaceable batteries.
  • By 2027, all phones released in the EU must have a battery the user can easily replace with no tools or expertise.
  • The regulation intends to introduce a circular economy for batteries.
    • Vega@feddit.it
      2·
      1 year ago

      Battery shape (and connector) will sadly still be a thing for a long time, and usually it’s for engineering reasons, so I don’t really think it will be possible to standardize it

      • DeanFogg@lemm.ee
        0·
        1 year ago

        We really should just adopt the “best one” that becomes the standard. Only change it with significant advancement

        • Dojan@lemmy.world
          2·
          1 year ago

          It depends on the layout of the phone though. Size of camera module, placement of fingerprint sensors, other sensors/modules, heat sinks. You name it, really.

          As such the batteries tend to be oddly shaped, and even spread out in different places to get as much battery in as possible.

          The “best one” differs from phone to phone.

  • NightOwl@lemmy.oneEnglish
    1·
    1 year ago

    It is a special day when there is happy tech news. This is a day for celebration. Having done my own battery replacements some have been a nightmare to do with all the glue and hoping the screen doesn’t break. I look forward to this, since with rise of phone costs I don’t intend to update frequently. I’d actually change my battery annually if it wasn’t such a hassle.

  • troplin@kbin.social
    0·
    1 year ago

    I don‘t know how to feel about this. While It’s nice to be able to replace the battery, I very much prefer the durability of todays phones over those flimsy removable back plates that used to be common in the 00s.

    I really hope they mean that no special tools/skill are required. They should just standardize one type of micro screwdriver that everyone has to use.

    Replaceable batteries inevitably also have to be sturdier s.t. they don‘t pose a fire hazard, making the entire phone bulkier or reducing battery life.

    My iPhone XR is now over 4 years old and battery capacity is still at 80%, getting me through the day easily.
    Before that I had an iPhone 4s where I replaced the battery after ~6 years. I was really disappointed with the new battery and ended up buying a new phone anyway after a few weeks.

    My phone is the device that I use the most by a huge margin. It doesn‘t bother me too much if I have to replace it every 5-6 years. And I‘m pretty environmetally conscious in general.

      • BruceTwarzen@kbin.social
        01·
        1 year ago

        Yeah. If you owned one and don’t get all your information from memes on reddit, they were incredibly flimsy. It was all cheap ass plastic that was clipped in, they would break and your phone would be heald together by hopes and dreams.

  • Reclipse@lemdro.idOP
    0·
    1 year ago

    The headline says it’s official. But then the article mentions -

    Now, the only step left is for the European Council and Parliament to sign on the dotted line.

    So it’s not official?? Can anyone explain please??

  • drathvedro@lemm.ee
    01·
    1 year ago

    Not sure I’m on board with this one. Sure, swappable batteries are cool, but that’ s not something I really need, and the inherent bulk of battery enclosures isn’t either. And battery swap isnt that hard, actually, the chinese guys have figured this out, they can make any kind of battery you want, and a worker at a local store can learn to perform the swap with just a few hours of training.

    What I’d like instead is something about 18650’s, they are everywhere but you cant buy them officially because battery manufacturers only sell them to other manufacturers to pass liability onto them, but they just wrap them in plastic and then people handle them willy-nilly. Maybe dd battery safety to school curicculum and make 18650 the new AA?

        • Soleil@beehaw.org
          0·
          1 year ago

          Thinness is not necessarily something that’s super important to most people.

          Also, even if it was, my LG V20 is basically the same thickness as my iPhone 13. I say “basically” because the phone with a replaceable battery is actually slightly thinner in this comparison.