W move for the EU. Very glad they're mandating stuff that should have been common place to begin with (ex. USB C on iPhones).

Good. I haven't been able to replace a battery since my S4.

Phones are getting more expensive so people are holding on to them longer, so it's a nice quality of life improvement to remove the barriers to battery replacement so less people have to go down to a phone repair store to get it changed. The more of a hassle battery replacement is seen the more likely people are to just upgrade and create e-waste.

Excellent! Batteries in modern phones are surprisingly definitely removable and replaceable. I've done it multiple times. However, the unfriendly barrier to entry is glue and clips that require careful prying with spugers. It's quite clear manufacturers are happy blocking you getting in; plenty people just buy new phones when the battery gets too old.

Holy. 👍

I wonder how thick phones will be because of this, what about phones with dual-cell battery? I know some of them do this for faster charging speed.

I might be in the minority here, but I feel this is actually a step back.

In the 5 years I've had my phone, there have been two times I've ever really needed to pull the battery, and still the hard reset sequence still eventually worked in both cases.

Anyone remember how some phones had issues with the battery door becoming somewhat loose over time, causing any slight bump to turn the phone off? Many have already commented on how they explode into multiple pieces when dropped. Traditionally the battery covers are incredibly flimsy plastic, even on flagship devices (cough Samsung). Waterproofing is a common concern too, however it actually can be done with a removable battery (e.g. Galaxy S5).

What really needed to be addressed here was how cumbersome it is to get into these devices to replace the battery, and how often people are price gouged to replace them. I believe this could have been better written to allow for either a removable battery, or a standardized and affordable built-in battery replacement process.

So many solid wins for EU, so exciting! If it means things become much easier then having to remove a bunch of components just to get to the battery to replace it. I am in.

I honestly don't have too many issues removing the back with a spuger and heat... Provided they make it so you can replace it just as well. The majority of the reasons people dispose of smart phones and buy a new phone is due to the battery degrading. It costs a lot just to replace it. Swappable batteries increases the longevity of a phone, means I can daily drive my phone for longer. Which is what I want... My pixel 5a battery is already degrading pretty badly. I like my phone but I feel disappointed I didn't get more usage out of it.

I saw how to replace it, and to do so it means removing a lot of components including the screen... And even though they sell replacement parts including screens they do not for whatever reason sell 5a screens to the UK it honestly baffles me...

Google doing some things for right to repair but much like other companies. It does feel like they are dragging their feet a little bit.

Good, it's a small victory but one step closer to a society that doesn't create waste just to buy the next new shiny toy. Products should be build to last, be easily repairable and create as little waste as possible (which isn't possible in a system that demands unlimited growth over anything else). If we want to have a somewhat ok climate in the future, just focusing on electric vehicles (which are doing the whole subscription to access your hardware fully, not easily repairable bs as well) isn't gonna cut it.

Wow ; thats pretty amazing - now I have even more respect for them thinking ahead and going after the USB-C ports first... this could force manufacturers to give us a better product - I'll be watching this.

thank you EU!

This is awesome! I hope the EU Compliant phones come overseas too!

Good! I loved having removable batteries, especially while traveling. Just carry a charged battery and hotswap them instead of having to find a plug to camp by for 30-60 minutes

This is awesome. Thank god for EU legislation that directly benefits me as an American consumer. Now I can microwave lithium ion batteries in peace!

LET'S GOOOOO