Back on the 10th July 2023 a new law was passed by the European Union regarding the recycling of rechargeable batteries. Part of these law changes stipulated that “portable batteries incorporated into appliances should be removable and replaceable by the end-user”. These laws come into effect in 2027, the logic being that this give the manufacturers plenty of time to incorporate this into their designs.
Well 2027 is still 2 years away, the manufacturers still have time, you might say. That’s true however if we look at the other notable regulation the EU made targeting Apple you’ll see the difference. When USB-C was mandated companies were given time to implement the change, however Apple immediately implemented it before the due date.
I think as 2027 rolls around we will see one of three things. Either mass non compliance with this law, with smartphone and laptop manufacturers claiming they offer replacement services, or that the battery is already easy enough to repair. Second, they will hold out till the last possible moment to implement the change. Third, they will only offer these replaceable batteries in EU markets.
The reasons for this are simple. The main reason the majority of users upgrade is that the battery life of their device is no longer satisfactory. If you take that problem away with a simple pop out battery you take away the sole reason for an upgrade. These companies have grown complacent and reliant on our regular upgrades. Their profits will fall and share values will go down as a knock on effect.
I can’t see the first option being the most likely, the fines from the EU are too harsh to risk non compliance. The second option is probably the most likely, and I wouldn’t be surprised if release cycles are changed just so they can release a device late in 2026 just to avoid the change. You wouldn’t think the third option would happen but I wouldn’t rule it out. Already we are seeing different versions of devices for different markets. US iPhones don’t have a SIM slot. EU iPhones allow third party app stores whilst others don’t. It will all come down to the potential loss of profits to these companies. If they can develop a regional variant for the EU with a replacement battery for less than the profits they calculate they’d use through less device renewals you can bet they’ll do it.
That leaves us in the UK in a sticky predicament. Would we get the EU variant or would we get the rest of world one with a sealed battery? If so I would without a doubt be importing one from Europe!
There is a night and day difference between the longevity of a device with and without a replaceable battery. The obvious point being that replacements are more readily available, cheaper and easy to swap out. The other side of this is that if the device is being stored the battery can be removed. This stops the battery slowly draining past the point of no return.
As a footnote; anyone shilling for these manufacturers claiming that devices are only water resistant because of their sealed batteries only need look at the Samsung XCover series. This phone, from one of the big 3 has a user replaceable battery and an IP68 dust and water rating. I rest my case.
Leave a Reply