Last week, the European Union approved new battery rules for portable devices. From 2027, as reported by Android Authority, phones sold within the European Union will need to be designed with batteries that can be replaced without the need for tools.
As a lot of websites have pointed out by now, this could completely change the way smartphones are designed. It has been decades since phones were widely available with removable batteries, and since that time, the battery has largely become a physical part of the phone that’s not detachable without having to open the device’s guts up, even if it’s designed to be opened up (such as the Fairphone or Nokia G22).
This isn’t something that’s easily done by the average phone owner. Opening a phone up usually requires special tools, and when you do this, you run the risk of damaging the phone, as its internal components become exposed.
Mind you, there’s good reason for somebody wanting to replace the battery of their smartphone. Battery life drops off as the phone gets older, while the rest of the phone is still usable. It’s a real thorn in the side of owning a smartphone – when you notice the battery life taper off and it’s suddenly not as powerful as it once was (and by the time that the battery starts to drop in quality, it’s usually around the time that a newer version of the same model is available – coincidence?).
So, the European Union is acting on it – but as it’s expected that requirements for USB-C charging will impact the rest of the world’s gadgets, this battery requirement is also expected to have a roll-on effect for markets outside of Europe.
What do the European Union’s replaceable battery rules mean for Aussies?
At the most basic level, it’s likely that this will have an impact on the devices available in non-European markets. Companies tend to avoid introducing too many alterations in product design from one market to another, however, it’s not unheard of.
While it’s expected that Apple’s iPhone 15 range will be the first featuring USB-C laws, due to European regulation calling for the standardised use of the port, market-specific hardware changes aren’t uncommon. For example, every iPhone 12, 13, and 14 sold in the U.S. comes with mmWave technology, capable of achieving much faster 5G speeds than 5G-enabled phones without the tech. The company is yet to bring the technology to another market. Additionally, Samsung has been known to use different processors depending on the market.
But that’s just a preface – we may or may not feel the effects of the regulation. If we do, it’ll mean that the design of your smartphone has changed drastically. The use of adhesives, for example, may need to be dropped, and we may start to see more separable parts from a smartphone to allow for greater internal access (my fingers are crossed for straight-up removable batteries, like phones in the 2000s).
This is obviously not without its disadvantages, though, as more potential holes around the periphery of the device and more spots where water and dust can get in could lead to a lower IP rating. Water and dust may pose a threat to phones with easily replaced batteries.
At a technical level, the European Union’s regulation brings in a lot of other requirements. Batteries will need to meet a threshold for recoverable materials: 50 per cent of the lithium inside the battery will need to be recoverable by 2027, and 80 per cent by 2031. As for cobalt, copper, lead, and nickel, up to 90 per cent of these materials will need to be recoverable by 2027, and then 95 per cent by 2031.
This is a recycling dream come true, and if jurisdictions outside of the European Union have any common sense, policies like this should lay the groundwork for circular economies where we’re recycling the materials we no longer use. The European Union has also set very satisfying targets for minimum levels of recycled materials in new batteries – something that other markets would be wise to consider.
Ultimately, this can only mean good things for the development of portable devices going forward. This decision by the European Union gives consumers greater agency with their devices, without having to worry about damaging a device when it’s opened up. Additionally, there are environmental benefits to legislating requirements for battery recycling – lithium is finite, after all.
The bottom line is that, at the moment, it’s difficult to tell if we’re going to feel the effects of this ruling in Australia, but I wanted to chat about it with you, considering I’m sure I’m not alone in hoping they do.