Smartphones and laptops with user replaceable batteries are coming back in 2027!

Remember the proposal to bring back smartphones with removable batteries in Europe last year?

A new regulation in Europe that could affect the rest of the world

User-replaceable batteries on devices are coming back!

Recently, the European Council revealed new regulations on batteries and waste batteries. It includes a new mandate stating that batteries incorporated on appliances should be removable and replaceable by the end user by 2027.

The portion of the regulation reads,

The regulation provides that by 2027 portable batteries incorporated into appliances should be removable and replaceable by the end-user, leaving sufficient time for operators to adapt the design of their products to this requirement. This is an important provision for consumers. Light means of transport batteries will need to be replaceable by an independent professional.

So, in 2027, portable electronic appliance makers must come up with devices with removable and user-replaceable batteries. It includes smartphones, tablets, and probably other electronic devices like music players, among others.

This new regulation came after the EU parliament passed a law mandating all mobile phone makers to use just a single charger which is USB-C. It pushed Apple to drop its lighting port on iPhones in favor of the USB Type-C and they are expected to release devices with such feature this year.

A similar thing could happen here and all manufacturers that sell mobile phones in Europe will likely comply.

2027 is still far, but that is likely enough for most mobile phone makers to create new designs with removable and replaceable batteries.

It will be interesting to see what approach they will do. While it might be harder, we are hoping that they could still come up with water-resistant and slimmer designs.

We are unsure if manufacturers will come up with two designs for each device release, one for Europe and one for the rest of the world. We won't be surprised if they will only make one design with a removable battery per device for the rest of the world. One thing is for sure, even Apple will comply here.

Apart from making it easier for gadget owners to replace their batteries to make their devices last longer, the law was created to force manufacturers to create a circular economy for batteries. Basically, it aims for a more sustainable way of using batteries on portable devices through proper waste management and recycling, among others.

You may read the full scope of the regulation from the source link below.

What do you guys think?

Source: European Council