Europe Wants to Ban Glued Cell Phone Batteries

[Tsing]

Remember when you could buy a smartphone with a removable battery? We may be making a return to that convenient era, as European legislators have begun cooking up a plan that would make it illegal for manufacturers to design smartphones and other electronic devices with batteries that are sealed and/or glued, making them awfully difficult for the average user to repair or remove.

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[Endgame]

So much for water tight phones?

 

[Grimlakin]

So much for water tight phones?

I'm sorry but this just doesn't hold water. If my not ultra 20 can take a less than 30 minute swim with no issues. A battery shouldn't matter.

They would just have water sensors like they do in the USB ports and the stylus ports to say.. "Let these dry out before charging" sort of thing. No reason you couldn't do the same.

OR... you know.. have a MECHANICAL seating instead of glue. I don't think SUBMARINES are glued shut.

 

[Endgame]

A submarine costs a lot more than a phone too. If they can mechanically seal it for the same cost and weight as glue, though, I’m for it. My old note 3 was the last phone I had with a replaceable battery and it was done after a short swim in dish water. I’d rather not repeat that kind of loss now that I have kids - My iPhone tends to go for a swim about once / month in kids bath water

 

[Riccochet]

Seeing as this is more for servicing the phone rather than being able to roll around with spare charged batteries and swap them at will. Why not just use a screwed on back plate with a o-rings. Boom, water proof and serviceable.

 

[MadMummy76]

So much for water tight phones?

It's not a requirement, although Apple would very much like to convince you. For example my action camera is water tight, yet it has a removable battery. It's not magic.

 

[Uvilla]

So much for water tight phones?

I don't know it you sincerely belive that... but I assure you if this comes from any manufactorer or engineer or anything like that, its just a straight up lie and dishonest argument. Water light and replaceable batteries are as old as time. In terms of technology, im pretty sure the dinosaurs had sealed electronic devices with replaceable batteries. Its no even a little bit hard.

 

[Peter_Brosdahl]

I'd say it's a mixed bag on either front.

On one hand, I'm all for being able to change out basic items on the things I own. Who doesn't what to be able to take care of their own stuff?

On the other hand, from phones to tablets or even laptops, I've found that around the time I need to replace a battery, said device ends up losing manufacturer OS support in another 12-18 months or something else that's age-related goes out. I've had that happen multiple times now and ended up thinking I would've been better off putting the money into a newer device. I know that's playing into the whole planned obsolescence strategy but when I'd already gotten, 5-7 or more, years out of a mobile device I'm thinking that isn't too bad. However, that brings up another point. I think if more people were able to put off upgrading for longer periods of time that would cut down on waste far more than being able to swap a battery. I think the exception would be a defective battery which ought to be covered by a warranty anyway since most seem to last for quite a while these days.

 

[Brian_B]

I'd say it's a mixed bag on either front.

Pretty well sums up my thoughts on the matter too.

Also

If you are going to address battery replacement, shouldn’t you also address software obsolescence? That is a far worse issue if you think of it: even if it’s difficult or has to go to the OEM you can get a battery fixed, but once they drop software support the phone is on borrowed time.

I agree that 5-7 years is perfectly adequate. 2-3 is probably not, and I know some Android models that seem to follow that cadence.

I have made my peace with my phone being considered a consumable item - the same as I do my daily driver car. That said I also support Right to Repair - but I don’t think that needs to extend to “repair without needing tools”

 

[Peter_Brosdahl]

address software obsolescence

That ended up being the icing on the cake for a Galaxy Note 10.5" 2014 Edition that I had to retire. I'd actually got it during a BF deal in 2013. At one point I replaced the battery. Then something happened with the screen(wasn't cracked but something came up) and I had a local shop replace it. Finally around 2020 I just couldn't get new apps for it anymore. I was pretty bummed because that old 8 core was still doing pretty good.

Had a near-exact experience with our work phones. We got them close to their release date, they were LG something or other. They lasted a long time but right around the time their batteries started dying they started losing OS support which meant soon we wouldn't be able to update their apps. I replaced a few of their batteries. They lasted us around 3-4 years and then we got the iPhone SE and we're about to upgrade from that pretty soon.

On a different but similar front, we have these old Toshiba laptops at my day job. Things are ancient (around 10 years old now) but built like tanks nonetheless. I did ram upgrades and installed SSDs with Windows 10 about a year after 10 came out. That had really extended their life spans. However, at one point their batteries were crapping out so I ordered replacements only to have the built-in chargers go shortly after. Same kind of thing we see with cars. If an alternator has to nurse enough batteries until they die, it eventually does too. Meanwhile not long after that the NVIDIA Quadro cooling fans started going.

 

[DrezKill]

OH GAWD, please PLEASE let us go back to removable batteries. I've never paid money for a phone without a removable battery. The phone I have now (Samsung Galaxy A32 5G) doesn't have a removable battery, but the phone was also 100% free so I care a lot less.

 

[Riccochet]

I honestly don't see what the big deal is about having a removeable battery. Serviceable, yes, but removeable? Literally everywhere I go I have the ability to charge my phone. Home, vehicles, work, planes, boat, restaurants/bars.

If my battery isn't lasting a full day then I should be able to replace it. I don't want to carry spare batteries with me though.