According to a new EU bill, the battery in your iPhone should be easy to replace yourself. iPhoned explains what that means and whether it has a chance of becoming reality.
Replace iPhone battery yourself
The EU has already ensured that the iPhone will soon receive USB-C and that the NFC chip may be used by third parties. Now it’s your iPhone’s battery’s turn. A recently submitted bill refers to an ‘easily replaceable battery in smartphones’.
The EU wants to oblige electronics manufacturers to design their devices in such a way that it is easy even for laymen to replace the battery. In other words: there must be an easily replaceable battery, just like in the past with the Nokias. Then you just took the back of your phone off, clicked out the battery, and replaced it with a ‘fresh’ one.
Apple’s position
Apple won’t be too happy about this. As cool and practical as it would be to make batteries easily replaceable, it would require completely different designs that might be bulkier, with a smaller battery and less waterproofing. Today, iPhones are designed so that every free cubic inch is taken up by the battery. It will no longer be possible that way.
On the other hand, such a fixed rule could also lead to innovation. Let Apple figure out how to keep the iPhone just as chic, but with a replaceable battery.
Is it really going to happen?
For the time being, this is therefore a bill and it is not yet clear whether and, if so, when it will actually be introduced. In any case, it will not yet apply to the iPhone 15.
Apple’s best argument against this proposal will be the recently introduced ‘Self Service Repair Program’. This allows you to order parts from Apple itself to repair your iPhone. Or, for example, replace the battery.
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