The EU loves to pass new laws about how gadgets, including smartphones, should operate. It’s the reason why different phone makers adopted a common charging cable, and why Apple finally started opening up its walled garden to users in the region.
Now, legislators are coming to the phone repairability issue, with an emphasis on ensuring phone batteries can be replaced more easily.
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It’s worth noting that this law does not mandate removable batteries, which can be popped out by hand and replaced within a few seconds. Those fell out of favor many years ago, after phones started offering more robust water and dust resistance that required devices to be completely sealed.
Instead, it requires that batteries should be “readily removable and replaceable” without users needing any “specialized tools” — unless those tools are provided free of charge when you buy the device. This means no using proprietary screws or hiding the battery so deeply in the phone that it’s almost impossible to access without professional help.
Bloomberg also notes that it doesn’t just apply to phones and tablets. Game consoles, smart glasses, e-bikes and even toys will be affected by these rules as well. However, exemptions do exist for medical devices and for items intended for underwater use.
It’s going to be interesting to see how those rules are enforced with earbuds, which are among the least repairable gadgets on sale right now.
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