EU Approves New Regulation for Smartphone Batteries - Must be User-Replaceable by 2027

[Suspenders]

An overestimate of the average thickness. Probably more like 8.5mm than 10. So only 42.5kkm.
But instead of stacking they could carefully balance them on the small end (top / bottom), then they'd reach the moon twice.

Good thinking there. We'll finally be able to dispose of all this e-waste in an environmentally sound manner when we reach the moon with our garbage pile

 

[seccentral]

This is actually pointless. Phones are designed to have a 5 years lifespan at best (apple) and 3 years for others. After this there is no more software support = not suiteable for everyday use anymore.

Batteries in phones are also designed to last this long so you dont need to change them.

Sure you can have modified alternatives os after your phone is no longer supported but all these os lack proprietary security drivers which makes TPM and cryptographic security unusable = a lot of important functions of your phone wont work anymore, especially things related to banking apps.

If the EU wants to extend the life of mobile phones they should force manufacturers to extend the duration of the support on them in the first place.

Are you an apple user ? Because otherwise, it's your hardware, it's your right to install any software you want. I can put GSI images or custom roms on android phones way beyond their shelf life and they work just fine. New battery and it's pretty good to go. Only problem is storage speeds are degraded because years of use. I'd be great to have easily replaceable storage too (actual nand flash, not the sdcards)

The banking apps cry safety when they just mean control. "Yes, my device is rooted and I fully ackowledge the risks [...]" SHould be a checkbox on every such app without it needing magiskhide, shamiko and hacks/workarounds. Google isnt helping, actually making it harder to spoof a "legit" vs rooted phone, as if my rooted device is somehow compromised by default just because I can access way more of it than I was supposed to. But with some effort it is possible to do. Not with apple.

I understand not everybody does root and flash and even compile and customize their own android from source. But you should be free to use your hardware as you see fit. Problem with apple: you actually can't unless you're capable of reverse engineering feats that are beyond most people. Those chips are locked down hard at the firmware/hardware level. You don't own your phone. It's just a timed lease for an upfront payment or installments that self destructs by means of planned obsolescence.


Perhaps the open phones will get better and cheaper and android or iOS will no longer hold a duopoly

 

[sLowEnd]

This is actually pointless. Phones are designed to have a 5 years lifespan at best (apple) and 3 years for others. After this there is no more software support = not suiteable for everyday use anymore.

Batteries in phones are also designed to last this long so you dont need to change them.

Sure you can have modified alternatives os after your phone is no longer supported but all these os lack proprietary security drivers which makes TPM and cryptographic security unusable = a lot of important functions of your phone wont work anymore, especially things related to banking apps.

If the EU wants to extend the life of mobile phones they should force manufacturers to extend the duration of the support on them in the first place.

I disagree. An old device might not be good to daily drive anymore (for security, performance, or software compatibility reasons), but as an electronic appliance they can still see some use if allowed.

I have a couple of old phones sitting around doing nothing because their batteries are shot, but I'm pretty sure I can still find uses for them if they had good batteries. The cameras, sensors, and speakers, memory, screens, and all the other things that encompass a smartphone are just sitting there unused.
The one with a Snapdragon 820 has an IR blaster, so it could be used as a remote. It also has unused storage space.
The one with a Snapdragon 845 would be good for emulating games, frankly has a better screen than my current daily driver iPhone, and has even more unused storage space.

 

[AusWolf]

I disagree. An old device might not be good to daily drive anymore (for security, performance, or software compatibility reasons), but as an electronic appliance they can still see some use if allowed.

I'll go even further: any device released in the last 5-8 years is still good as a daily driver as long as its battery is good. Mobile CPUs and RAM/storage capacity has reached a stage where you don't have to upgrade anymore just to keep up with the hardware requirements of everyday apps. A dead battery has been my only reason to upgrade recently, and the above reasons have made it pointless to spend extra money on a non-entry-level device.

Edit: The latest software patches are good to have, but they're not a necessity to use your phone, either.

 

[Prima.Vera]

This is the best news this year so far. Hopefully they will adopt this, the same they forced the standard charging/data port for the phones.

 

[TheoneandonlyMrK]

This is the best news this year so far. Hopefully they will adopt this, the same they forced the standard charging/data port for the phones.

I think the charging port matters too, micro usb didn't do so well usb C seems much more rugged but then I am very careful with my phone plugged in and don't use it plugged in so as to not wear out the power connector..
Which has killed 2 of my last 5 phone's, wireless charging and removable battery s with a screen protector might make my phone last many years, which would be nice, surfin phones and texts don't require new tech often at all.

 

[Battler624]

I have an honest question as I've never used an iPhone as a daily driver/a significant length of time.

Do iPhones have the software toggle setting that restricts the max charge the battery will allow to ~80%/85%?

not as far as I know.

 

[claes]

They don’t. They decrease the charge rate after 80% based on “user habits,” but idk how that’s determined

 

[Kyan]

User replaceable. Are we going to go back to old phone pre 2010 era? removable back cover? No more ip68 rating sad. Tbh I don't mind having sealed battery as long as they're easily replaced.
Easy access from back door and no genuine notification bullshit just because you didn't replace it at authorized dealers. Some phone require you to open it from the front and risked to damaged the screen which is stupid.

IP 68 is not incompatible with removable battery. As mentionned, the galaxy S5 was IP67 while having the battery removable. Yes it is not fully submersive but are you really using your phone under 1 meter of water ? If so, it's not too bad to take a cover that can do that.
The bigger problem is that it's hard to make other component accessible without droping the IP rating below that. The Fairphone 4 is fully repairable and have a IP 54 rating.

Good thinking there. We'll finally be able to dispose of all this e-waste in an environmentally sound manner when we reach the moon with our garbage pile

This game is exactly that
The goal is to reach the moon by piling trash you gather on each level of the game. It's pointing a lot of problem of our society, even the human that you met say funny thing. There's an annoucer on the city that say thing like "working hard make you happy" thing like that .
It's a really fun game with a simple but fun gameplay that i can easily recommend.

 

[sLowEnd]

IP 68 is not incompatible with removable battery. As mentionned, the galaxy S5 was IP67 while having the battery removable. Yes it is not fully submersive but are you really using your phone under 1 meter of water ? If so, it's not too bad to take a cover that can do that.
The bigger problem is that it's hard to make other component accessible without droping the IP rating below that. The Fairphone 4 is fully repairable and have a IP 54 rating.

It's not like it's impossible. The Galaxy XCover 6 Pro is IP68 and has a removable battery.

 

[Deleted member 231663]

Would rather prefer Apple just stop selling the iPhone in Europe

 

[Prima.Vera]

Would rather prefer Apple just stop selling the iPhone in Europe

Yes. Canceling a product in 27 countries is very smart business wise...
Btw, is EU not whole Europe

 

[Deleted member 231663]

Yes. Canceling a product in 27 countries is very smart business wise...
Btw, is EU not whole Europe

It's easier for Apple and Google to boycott selling products in these countries which will then force the EU's hand to drop regulation.

People's desire for replaceable batteries will fall by the wayside fast when their only options are Linux phones and Chinese Baidu knockoffs

 

[Kohl Baas]

Would rather prefer Apple just stop selling the iPhone in Europe

Yeah, right after Facebook is left...

Btw, is EU not whole Europe

Well, considering the western part, not even the whole EU is Europe. There is a distinct line along the eastern border of Germany, Austria and Italy. Everything west of that line (Scandinavian peninsula included) is Europe and everything east of it is "mongoloid subhumans". That's what I learned from online games.

 

[AusWolf]

It's easier for Apple and Google to boycott selling products in these countries which will then force the EU's hand to drop regulation.

People's desire for replaceable batteries will fall by the wayside fast when their only options are Linux phones and Chinese Baidu knockoffs

Why would they boycott selling in a big chunk of the world instead of just designing their phones to comply with the regulation? It's not like they don't have a few years to change direction on new models.

 

[Prima.Vera]

It's easier for Apple and Google to boycott selling products in these countries which will then force the EU's hand to drop regulation.

People's desire for replaceable batteries will fall by the wayside fast when their only options are Linux phones and Chinese Baidu knockoffs

You haven't paying attention.
Apple: 95 billions net income in Europe, while 60 billions in EU only. Suuure, they will boycott all right

 

[Wirko]

Well, considering the western part, not even the whole EU is Europe. There is a distinct line along the eastern border of Germany, Austria and Italy. Everything west of that line (Scandinavian peninsula included) is Europe and everything east of it is "mongoloid subhumans". That's what I learned from online games.

And here's what the pre-Internet version of the (almost) same. People who live anywhere between northern Germany and Serbia say: The Balkans start just south of us!

You haven't paying attention.
Apple: 95 billions net income in Europe, while 60 billions in EU only. Suuure, they will boycott all right

All of the net income is made in Ireland.

 

[Deleted member 231663]

Why would they boycott selling in a big chunk of the world instead of just designing their phones to comply with the regulation? It's not like they don't have a few years to change direction on new models.

Because regulation does not always imply a correct decision. Beyond that, the idea that a segment of the world is going to tell a company that is worth more than the GDP of the majority of said countries how to make their products "correct" is asinine at best.

You haven't paying attention.
Apple: 95 billions net income in Europe, while 60 billions in EU only. Suuure, they will boycott all right

Apple has 55 billion dollars cash on hand and is worth a trillion dollars. It would be difficult but completely possible to remove their smartphones from the EU for sale.

Like I said before, people will not care about USB-C when presented with the options that will exist sans iPhone, especially!!! said politicians that voted for it.

 

[Zareek]

Because regulation does not always imply a correct decision. Beyond that, the idea that a segment of the world is going to tell a company that is worth more than the GDP of the majority of said countries how to make their products "correct" is asinine at best.



Apple has 55 billion dollars cash on hand and is worth a trillion dollars. It would be difficult but completely possible to remove their smartphones from the EU for sale.

Like I said before, people will not care about USB-C when presented with the options that will exist sans iPhone, especially!!! said politicians that voted for it.

This might surprise you, but big corporations tend to not act like little children stomping their feet and refusing to comply with reasonable rules. If Apple pulls out of the EU market for this, Google won't follow suit. Google and all the Android phone manufacturers will double down on the EU to gain the market share, and Apple would do the same if it were the other way around. Even if Google says no Google phones for the EU, their partner manufacturers will gladly grab that market.

I say the biggest thing we might see come from this is an iPhone iFat version and Samsung Galaxy Thick. Exclusives just for the EU.

 

[Lew Zealand]

They don’t. They decrease the charge rate after 80% based on “user habits,” but idk how that’s determined

All Apple devices out of the box slow charge after ~80% (I think all battery-powered devices do this anyway, even NiMH rechargeable AAs do this).

The user habit bit is that Apple will delay charging past 80% based on user charging habits. Say they charge overnight every night, the phone will delay going past 80% until before you wake up and get the phone to 100% just as you wake up.

My work MacBook Pro is usually plugged in and it likes to hang at 75-80% but will occasionally charge to 100% and then run back down to 75-80% to keep the battery exercised. That's nice but I marginally prefer Dell's BIOS option of min and max charge that I just set to 50% and 85% respectively, so it just cycles between those with my regular use. I just wish I didn't need to reboot to BIOS to change it.

 

[AusWolf]

Because regulation does not always imply a correct decision.

This one does. Throwing your perfectly good phone away, or taking it to a repair shop only because its battery died is a huge waste of time and money.

Beyond that, the idea that a segment of the world is going to tell a company that is worth more than the GDP of the majority of said countries how to make their products "correct" is asinine at best.

It's actually the other way around. Companies with a few thousand employees dictating countries of millions what to do and what to allow is unheard of.

We don't serve these companies. They serve us with their products. We're under no obligation to buy whatever piece of trash they come up with, rightfully proven by said regulation.

 

[Zareek]

All Apple devices out of the box slow charge after ~80% (I think all battery-powered devices do this anyway, even NiMH rechargeable AAs do this).

The user habit bit is that Apple will delay charging past 80% based on user charging habits. Say they charge overnight every night, the phone will delay going past 80% until before you wake up and get the phone to 100% just as you wake up.

My work MacBook Pro is usually plugged in and it likes to hang at 75-80% but will occasionally charge to 100% and then run back down to 75-80% to keep the battery exercised. That's nice but I marginally prefer Dell's BIOS option of min and max charge that I just set to 50% and 85% respectively, so it just cycles between those with my regular use. I just wish I didn't need to reboot to BIOS to change it.

Lenovo has a software utility to do the same thing, no need to get into the BIOS to change it. I set to recharge below 50% and stop at 80%. I have to say, it is odd when you have it plugged in and the charge doesn't change when it only has 60% battery left. It's nice to just go into the utility and turn it off and top off the battery when you know you are going to need more juice that day.

 

[Deleted member 231663]

This might surprise you, but big corporations tend to not act like little children stomping their feet and refusing to comply with reasonable rules. If Apple pulls out of the EU market for this, Google won't follow suit. Google and all the Android phone manufacturers will double down on the EU to gain the market share, and Apple would do the same if it were the other way around. Even if Google says no Google phones for the EU, their partner manufacturers will gladly grab that market.

I say the biggest thing we might see come from this is an iPhone iFat version and Samsung Galaxy Thick. Exclusives just for the EU.

Except that Apple dictates the smartphone market and every other manufacturer follows suit coupled with the fact that very few people buy Android phones.

What you surmise happening would be a historical first.

This one does. Throwing your perfectly good phone away, or taking it to a repair shop only because its battery died is a huge waste of time and money.


It's actually the other way around. Companies with a few thousand employees dictating countries of millions what to do and what to allow is unheard of.

We don't serve these companies. They serve us with their products. We're under no obligation to buy whatever piece of trash they come up with, rightfully proven by said regulation.

Why would you throw away a perfectly good phone? Also why are taking away repair jobs for a process that is fairly cheap and straightforward. Iphones last 5+ years same battery regularly no problem.

Exactly. It's up to Apple to decide how they want to market their product and if the consumer does not purchase it then the market will dictate change, not a group of people telling said company how to make their product to then sell back to them.

 

[80-watt Hamster]

... very few people buy Android phones.

Citation needed.

Spoiler

 

[claes]

Don’t feed the troll