This Country Mandates Removable Batteries in Mobile Phones Next Year
Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia - Mobile phone manufacturers must prepare to adapt to new regulations in European Union countries. The nations will soon implement a new rule mandating electronic producers, including smartphones, to embed removable batteries in their devices starting in 2027.
Quoting Tech Radar, the purpose of this regulation, in addition to following the rules set in 2023, is to address battery degradation issues while reducing electronic waste. It also aims to improve the ease of repairing mobile devices as part of consumer-friendly efforts.
Decades ago, removable batteries were a standard feature in mobile phone technology. However, since the advent of smartphones and Apple’s iPhone, other manufacturers have followed suit by adopting built-in batteries in their products.
Although this regulation only applies in the EU region, global mass production mechanisms are expected to affect devices in other countries’ markets due to these design changes.
The new rule does not automatically revert phones to old designs with casings that consumers can open directly. The regulation specifically refers to batteries that can be replaced by consumers without special tools, unless those tools are included free of charge in the product packaging.
This means mobile phone producers may be required to provide small disassembly tools in the purchase package to allow consumers to remove the battery independently.
The regulation targets not only phones and tablets but also other technology products like smart glasses and upcoming game consoles such as the Nintendo Switch 2 under development, which will need to consider battery replacement ease.
However, there is an exception in this new rule. Devices whose batteries can retain 80% capacity after 1,000 charging cycles do not need to comply.
The products in question are from Apple, the tech giant from Cupertino. According to the company’s official support documents, the iPhone 15 series launched since 2023 already meets this battery durability standard.
Apple’s prospective CEO, John Ternus, has previously stated support for the general right to repair. He believes overall product durability is the top priority over mere ease of separate repairs.
The EU’s latest regulation has received positive responses from several consumers. For instance, Reddit forum users view it as a highly consumer-friendly step, given that batteries are typically the first component to degrade or fail in a phone.
For information, this legislation, which has been in development for several years, is scheduled to take effect in February 2027. This means devices like the Samsung Galaxy S27 could be among the first to comply with the rule in the European market.