And to debunk the canard about replaceable batteries preventing phones from being waterproof: the Samsung S5 was waterproof and had a replaceable battery, as did decades of police and marine walkie talkies and GPS, and a century of outdoor flashlights. I would accept that it costs a little bit of space inside the phone, interfering with Steve Jobs' dream of a paper thin phone the size of a cigarette lighter. But today, Jobs is gone and people like big phones, so it is fine. I would even be happy with a thick phone powered by a couple of 18650's instead of a pouch cell.<p>Note that per the article, it is ok for replacing the battery to require simple tools (e.g. a small screwdriver). So that makes weather sealing even easier, since you can put a gasket around the battery door and tighten the door down with a screw. That is how my old AA-powered Garmin GPS works, more or less, though you don't need tools to undo the screw.
Myself I am a fan of the NiMH rechargeables in AA and AAA format. My dental hygienist wanted me to get an electric toothbrush, I found the bottom-of-the-line model that takes AA batteries for about $15 less than a model with an integrated battery which is totally easy to use with NiMH batteries.<p>I also had some old FRS radios<p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Family_Radio_Service" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Family_Radio_Service</a><p>that I took out of mothballs. These had proprietary battery packs that can be replaced with AA's or AAA's, I found the old battery packs had gone bad but breathed new life in them with NiMH batteries.
FTA: <i>“By 2024, portable batteries in appliances, such as smartphones, and batteries for LMT must be designed so that consumers and independent operators can easily and safely remove them themselves, MEPs say”</i><p>I do not read anything about <i>replacing</i> batteries there.<p>However, <a href="https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/press-room/20220202IPR22435/meps-want-to-strengthen-new-eu-rules-for-batteries" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/press-room/20220202IP...</a> is clear, saying <i>“By 2024, portable batteries in appliances, such as smartphones, and batteries for LMT must be designed for easy and safe removal and replacement by consumers or independent operators”</i><p>From skimming <a href="https://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/docs_autres_institutions/commission_europeenne/com/2020/0798/COM_COM(2020)0798_EN.pdf" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/docs_autres_instituti...</a>, it seems it says the same.<p>Now, the question is how to interpret that “or” in that latest sentence. I think it leaves open the option to have devices that consumers cannot service on their own, but require help from an independent operator.
I wonder if Apple's self-service repair program is sufficient for this?<p>I do like the idea of user-replaceable batteries, but I don't miss the build quality and size of those devices with easily accessible batteries.