No more Glued down Phone batteries. "The European Parliament paves the way for removable and replaceable batteries"

[darknessblade]

Summary

This week, the European Parliament voted in favor of making batteries more sustainable including making them removable and replaceable

 

Quotes

Quote

This week, the European Parliament voted in favor of making batteries more sustainable including making them removable and replaceable. MEPs were voting in plenary on their report on  the battery regulation proposed by the European Commission in 2020. They adopted an ambitious position on the issue of removability and replaceability of batteries, a key aspect to extend the lifetime of electronic products sold in Europe. This doesn’t mean user replaceable batteries anytime soon though as this only represents the Parliament’s position and the battle for a final, ambitious regulation with the Council still needs to happen.

 

My thoughts

This is a Good thing as Many companies GLUE down the batteries as a ANTI-repair mechanic. making it near impossible to remove batteries safely. without "special" Pry tools to cut the glue/tape under the batteries.

 

This could also be a good thing in the long run. as batteries will be more replaceable, and if a battery of a device dies a consumer can just replace it themselves, without needing to go to the company, and ask for a Replacement battery "after the warranty period is over"

 

The only issue there still is Are companies that HARDLOCK batteries trough special chips inside said battery/battery pack Like Linus Mentioned in their DIY RED camera battery pack

 

 

Sources

2022

https://repair.eu/news/the-european-parliament-carves-the-path-to-removabe-and-replaceable-batteries/

https://www.tellerreport.com/business/2022-03-11-sustainable-batteries--eu-parliament-wants-cellphones-to-be-glued-on.BkGjOhOdZ9.html

 

https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/nl/press-room/20220304IPR24805/new-rules-on-batteries-meps-want-more-environmental-and-social-ambition

https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/press-room/20220202IPR22435/meps-want-to-strengthen-new-eu-rules-for-batteries

article from 2017

https://www.alphr.com/politics/1006251/the-eu-wants-to-stop-gadgets-having-glued-in-batteries/

[da na]

Great to see this! My friend accidentally punctured his glued down laptop battery trying to change it so hopefully this applies to more than just phones...

[Arika]

Doesn't matter if a phone battery is glued down or not if the entire phone is glued shut...

[da na]

1 minute ago, Arika S said:

Doesn't matter if a phone battery is glued down or not if the entire phone is glued shut...

Hey, at least the battery will be easy to change after you've broken the screen, back glass, and bent the housing getting it apart! 

[jagdtigger]

1 minute ago, Arika S said:

Doesn't matter if a phone battery is glued down or not if the entire phone is glued shut...

I think the wording pretty much covers that part too, you cant say a battery is removable and replaceable if the back is glued shut....

[Arika]

2 minutes ago, jagdtigger said:

I think the wording pretty much covers that part too, you cant say a battery is removable and replaceable if the back is glued shut....

Yes you can. The wording will absolutely be abused and loopholes used

 

"The BATTERY is removable and easily replaceable......once the phone is open, but good luck with that"

[jagdtigger]

3 minutes ago, Arika S said:

Yes you can.

No, you cannot. Only a moron would argue about that you can call a not glued in battery replaceable while the device is glued shut.

 

/edit

Bonus point: no law was written so far so we dont know how its going to be worded.

[Helpful Tech Witch]

heres the thing, 

this will actually have negative effects if this means what I think this means.

If it means that batteries have to be easily replacable without something like removing a screen thats glued down, (which at least on iphones is just getting it hot away) and means you cant use the battery pull tabs like on the iphone, this could effect things like water resistance.

If it means you can't have battery chips and glued down batterys without something like pull tabs, but everythign else can stay, thats fine

[Arika]

Just now, jagdtigger said:

No, you cannot. Only a moron would argue about that you can call a not glued in battery replaceable while the device is glued shut.

You can bet your ass that the companies that are already against right to repair will have all of their lawyers going through every single letter of any possible legislation that would even have a possibility of getting pased to find any loopholes they can use to continue to fuck over self repair.

 

If it says batteries can't be glued down, they don't glue down their batteries, everything else will remain unchanged.

[Quackers101]

why hate on glue? (like pull tabs or glued phone)

It can be a lot easier to deal with, when done "right". Also reducing some plastic waste with more content in general inside the phone.

If the battery has to be like the older replacable ones, being in a position that means more protection for them.

 

But not sure how those other replacable battery phones did it again, fairphone etc.

[starsmine]

you know, having dealt with plenty of glued down batteries... I dont care?
the glued down battery aspect has never prevented me from repairing or replacing a product. This doesn't address right to repair at all. 

Things like locking a battery down like with the red would, or companies claiming it voids your warranty would. Right to repair is not about the ease of repair, its about more not locking down information necessary to repair a device. 

This kind of proposal just feels like it misses the mark entirely. 

[jagdtigger]

8 minutes ago, Arika S said:

find any loopholes they can use to continue to fuck over self repair

Then the law gets updated and companies fined. Just because its not easy we have to start somewhere.

 

6 minutes ago, Quackers101 said:

why hate on glue?

Because its totally unnecessary complication. On my s5 i buy the new battery and in seconds i changed it. Meanwhile with a glued phone you have to take the device in the repair shop and more often than not you have to leave it there.
It creates unnecessary waste both in terms of time and materials.

[darknessblade]

7 minutes ago, starsmine said:

you know, having dealt with plenty of glued down batteries... I dont care?
the glued down battery aspect has never prevented me from repairing or replacing a product. This doesn't address right to repair at all. 

Things like locking a battery down like with the red would, or companies claiming it voids your warranty would. Right to repair is not about the ease of repair, its about more not locking down information necessary to repair a device. 

This kind of proposal just feels like it misses the mark entirely. 

From what i can see the EU First starts with Glued down batteries to see how companies react.

 

Then they devise plans to broaden the regulations to multiple/ALL devices.

Since a glued down battery in current generation Phone's is kinda useless. 

 

When they would do EVERYTHING at once, they will get massive backlash from companies, they take it 1 step at a time.

[porina]

Even if this comes with tradeoffs in other areas, I'd generally welcome more easily user replaceable batteries. Both my Pixel 3a and iPad mini (2019) are getting on for 3 years and the battery life is noticeably shorter than it used to be.

[Blademaster91]

This a good thing and it should apply to more than phones, it should apply to other things like laptops and wireless headphones.

[TetraSky]

I for one would welcome easily replaceable batteries. But then, will manufacturers cheap out on batteries because they figure "well they can change it in 6 months and pay us more money for a new one" ?

[Ydfhlx]

37 minutes ago, jagdtigger said:

I think the wording pretty much covers that part too, you cant say a battery is removable and replaceable if the back is glued shut....

If that's true, EU banned water resistant phones... No way it can resist water if it is to be easily openable

[Blademaster91]

21 minutes ago, Quackers101 said:

why hate on glue? (like pull tabs or glued phone)

It can be a lot easier to deal with, when done "right". Also reducing some plastic waste with more content in general inside the phone.

If the battery has to be like the older replacable ones, being in a position that means more protection for them.

 

But not sure how those other replacable battery phones did it again, fairphone etc.

Well if the battery isn't glued down, and the regulation covers a phone being more easily opened, it might help with less plastic being wasted if it means being able to keep a phone longer.

26 minutes ago, Helpful Tech Wiard said:

heres the thing, 

this will actually have negative effects if this means what I think this means.

If it means that batteries have to be easily replacable without something like removing a screen thats glued down, (which at least on iphones is just getting it hot away) and means you cant use the battery pull tabs like on the iphone, this could effect things like water resistance.

If it means you can't have battery chips and glued down batterys without something like pull tabs, but everythign else can stay, thats fine

There were phones in the past that allowed battery replacement and still had water resistance, like the Samsung S5 for example.

Battery chips should be in the phone, not the battery, and I don't see the point of still gluing the phone shut even if the battery has pull tabs.

[darknessblade]

3 minutes ago, TetraSky said:

I for one would welcome easily replaceable batteries. But then, will manufacturers cheap out on batteries because they figure "well they can change it in 6 months and pay us more money for a new one" ?

if they do that they screw themselves over. as customers can just claim warranty.

 

Which is 2 years in the EU.

And if they plan to make the battery kill itself in 6 months, they have to replace it FREE off charge. as it is a Manufacturer defect.

 

[PeachGr]

I m against user replaceable batteries, because people will throw them away to the garbage instead of recycle them. They better help repair shops by reduce tax, or something similar

[SolarNova]

It may .. MAY, mean phones get a little thicker, which is fine imo, they are already ridiculously thin. and larger in other dimensions than what i would call 'convenient'

 

My phone is as big as i would ideally like and it 'only' has a 4.3" x 2.5" (5") screen, i however wouldn't mind it being thicker if it meant a longer battery life and easy replacement. but tbh, i dont care enough about mobiles to worry about it. If/when my phones dies ill go get either a used phone or the cheapest 'new' model out, i dont use it enough to warrant spending £300+ on one.

 

As for water resistance ...its kinda mute imo. Most phones have open ports for charging and the like. Splash resistance is one thing, but reduced water resistance due to a removable battery isnt really a concern whilst the ports are open to the elements.

Frankly, if ur in a position where ur dropping ur phone in water all the time u either need to buy a purpose built rugged phone for use outdoors, or in the case of dropping it in sinks and toilets ..stop being an idiot.

[starsmine]

12 minutes ago, SolarNova said:

It may .. MAY, mean phones get a little thicker, which is fine imo, they are already ridiculously thin. and larger in other dimensions than what i would call 'convenient'

 

My phone is as big as i would ideally like and it 'only' has a 4.3" x 2.5" (5") screen, i however wouldn't mind it being thicker if it meant a longer battery life and easy replacement. but tbh, i dont care enough about mobiles to worry about it. If/when my phones dies ill go get either a used phone or the cheapest 'new' model out, i dont use it enough to warrant spending £300+ on one.

 

As for water resistance ...its kinda mute imo. Most phones have open ports for charging and the like. Splash resistance is one thing, but reduced water resistance due to a removable battery isnt really a concern whilst the ports are open to the elements.

Frankly, if ur in a position where ur dropping ur phone in water all the time u either need to buy a purpose built rugged phone for use outdoors, or in the case of dropping it in sinks and toilets ..stop being an idiot.

no, phones these days are actually water resistant. Preventing ingress from one connection port is not that difficult compared to preventing ingress from a removable back side, especially because you dont have to reseal it outside of a repair.
no one is talking about splash resistance. 

The iphone 12 and 13 are ip68 rated down to 6 meters, and plenty of android phones are ip68 to 1.5 meters or more.
As in "The equipment is suitable for continuous immersion in water under conditions"

[Helpful Tech Witch]

25 minutes ago, Blademaster91 said:

Well if the battery isn't glued down, and the regulation covers a phone being more easily opened, it might help with less plastic being wasted if it means being able to keep a phone longer.

There were phones in the past that allowed battery replacement and still had water resistance, like the Samsung S5 for example.

Battery chips should be in the phone, not the battery, and I don't see the point of still gluing the phone shut even if the battery has pull tabs.

Once again, water.

sure, the s5 had water resistance, but it was ip67, and pales in comparison to the ip68 at double depth and double time the iphone has.

 Plus how else would a phone be held together without tabs and a pry tool?

 Those tabs would break so easily, they always  do

[jagdtigger]

34 minutes ago, Ydfhlx said:

If that's true, EU banned water resistant phones... No way it can resist water if it is to be easily openable

Factually wrong. Even my ancient s5 had ip67 rating despite having a removable backside....
(Anything beyond ip67 is a useless gimmick anyway, the idea of diving with your phone is beyond stupid.)

[Blademaster91]

12 minutes ago, Helpful Tech Wiard said:

Once again, water.

sure, the s5 had water resistance, but it was ip67, and pales in comparison to the ip68 at double depth and double time the iphone has.

And ip67 is more than enough for a phone, why would you need ip68 to go 6 meters deep with a phone? I wouldn't recommend anyone go swimming with a $1000 phone.

12 minutes ago, Helpful Tech Wiard said:

 Plus how else would a phone be held together without tabs and a pry tool?

 Those tabs would break so easily, they always  do

I never had that problem with phones with a removable back cover, and using a few torx screws to hold the cover on would fix the chance of the back falling off.