EU votes to mandate removable batteries in smartphones in a landslide; no more glued together junk!
EU votes to mandate removable batteries in smartphones in a landslide; no more glued together junk!
https://wccftech.com/new-eu-law-demands-replaceable-smartphone-batteries/
Additional video on this:
A new EU law will require all mobile devices to have user-replaceable batteries by 2027. In this episode we take a look at the law, it's consequences and right to repair.
ColdFusion on YT https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fo-k-Qosy8A
About Coldfusion:
Hi, my name is Dagogo Altraide and I create and narrate all the videos on here. This channel aims to let you experience the cutting edge of the world around us in a relaxed atmosphere. Learn the captivating stories about how our world came to be and also learn what's happening in the cutting edge today.
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i bought a little waterproof Panasonic digicam in 2010, i have taken it to do whitewater rafting, to the beach, to swimming pools, it has removable battery, removable memory card and USB connection, lil shit still works to this day
Even older, Sony made a Walkman in the '90's that was waterproof, and also happened to split in half entirely to accept a cassette tape. Any claims that manufacturers "can't" implement battery compartments or other moving parts while maintaining some level of waterproofing is so far beyond disingenuous bullshit, it's passed right through and come out the other side. Plenty of those friggin' things wound up dunked in swimming pools back in the day -- mine certainly did -- without incident. Consumers spend upwards of $1000 on a flagship smart phone these days. For that kind of money, these fuckers can figure out how to give it both a removable battery and a full feature set.
And before the Apple shills, naysayers, and apologists all leap out of the woodwork (as they've been doing incessantly every time this argument comes around), this EU regulation does not stipulate that manufacturers have to use oldschool back-comes-off-with-your-fingers, flies-apart-when-you-drop-it, flip phone style battery covers. That's a straw man if ever there's been one. There is nothing stopping them from holding battery compartments shut with screws, which would certainly help with structural integrity and waterproofing concerns. Despite the implication in the synopsis, it does not appear that the need for tools is explicitly prohibited by the regulation. This quote is shown in the video above, but does not actually appear in the text of the regulation:
No tool... or set of tools that is supplied with the product or spare part, or basic tools. The process for replacement shall be able to be carried out by a layman.
The text actually states:
Portable batteries incorporated in appliances shall be readily removable and replaceable by the end-user or by independent operators during the lifetime of the appliance, if the batteries have a shorter lifetime than the appliance, or at the latest at the end of the lifetime of the appliance. A battery is readily replaceable where, after its removal from an appliance, it can be substituted by a similar battery, without affecting the functioning or the performance of that appliance.
It's on page 55, if anyone wants to dig through the thing themselves.
The confusing part of the synopsis is how they awkwardly cut it at "no tools"and went on to list "or set of tools that is supplied with the product or spare part, or basic tools"
It's actually a list of the 3 valid ways to replace a battery under the law:
- With no tools (eg pop off cover)
- With a set of tools that is supplied with the product or spare part (special but included)
- With basic tools (common screwdriver, etc)
So, yes a robust waterproof screwed-in cover should be totally fine.
Potential problem I see here is, what defines as a "common" screwdriver? Cause the most common screwdrivers are MUCH bigger than what phones use. So, can be bought at stores? You can buy torx screws at iFixit, but probably not at local electronics stores, so does that count?
What I mean to say is that, the line has to be drawn somewhere, especially if it's going to be written in law. Having consumers buy a specialized screen heating machine is too much, but you can't expect large screws to be on phones, so it has to be somewhere in the middle and clearly defined.
My idea is that maybe it's better to start with what types of screws. Or if they're specialized, they have to include it in the box or disclose the specs.
Common screwdriver is a Phillips or flat head. It's already defined in relation to this legislation.