EU parliament passes law on user replaceable batteries

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&#x27; 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&#x27;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&#x27;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:&#x2F;&#x2F;en.wikipedia.org&#x2F;wiki&#x2F;Family_Radio_Service" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;en.wikipedia.org&#x2F;wiki&#x2F;Family_Radio_Service</a><p>that I took out of mothballs. These had proprietary battery packs that can be replaced with AA&#x27;s or AAA&#x27;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:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.europarl.europa.eu&#x2F;news&#x2F;en&#x2F;press-room&#x2F;20220202IPR22435&#x2F;meps-want-to-strengthen-new-eu-rules-for-batteries" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.europarl.europa.eu&#x2F;news&#x2F;en&#x2F;press-room&#x2F;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:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.europarl.europa.eu&#x2F;RegData&#x2F;docs_autres_institutions&#x2F;commission_europeenne&#x2F;com&#x2F;2020&#x2F;0798&#x2F;COM_COM(2020)0798_EN.pdf" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.europarl.europa.eu&#x2F;RegData&#x2F;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&#x27;s self-service repair program is sufficient for this?<p>I do like the idea of user-replaceable batteries, but I don&#x27;t miss the build quality and size of those devices with easily accessible batteries.

Better link: <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.europarl.europa.eu&#x2F;news&#x2F;en&#x2F;press-room&#x2F;20230609IPR96210&#x2F;making-batteries-more-sustainable-more-durable-and-better-performing" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.europarl.europa.eu&#x2F;news&#x2F;en&#x2F;press-room&#x2F;20230609IP...</a>

Goodbye waterproof phones :-(