EU Exempts Apple Watch and AirPods from Battery Removal Requirements
mjtsai.com
mjtsai.com
>some products, such as medical devices and so-called “wet appliances” (for example, electric toothbrushes or water flossers), are already exempt from this requirement, mainly for safety reasons. In these cases, batteries only need to be removable and replaceable by independent professionals.
As people will be wearing wearable products when it is raining these categories of clothes products have been classified as wet products
[0] https://environment.ec.europa.eu/news/commission-adds-exempt...
The difference between the 2 requirements is the level of technical knowledge needed and the necessary investment in tools
We have several for our kids, with removable batteries from Oral-B. All are years old and still waterproof. And with that amount of voltage, where can there _ever_ be a "safety issue"? That is quackery!
Sounds more like somebody lobbied successfully.
It's absolutely a result of lobbying.
Now connect the dots. That is how things work in EU.
Uh sure. If you've been paying attention the last year and a half it's the US putting up trade barriers to every other country. Like how the EU is under investigation for forced labor, that outcome might be used in the coming months to justify more tariffs.
Just to address this one specific case. If they're exempt, and you can sell more of them, why would you go beyond the regulation? This is why regulation like this shouldn't have exemptions.
My guess is there is a trade of that's worth it on the product side. That's why you can't buy a compelling phone w a replaceable battery anywhere. Its an incredibly competitive market. If there was a design that worked and tradeoffs made sense it works certainly exist and do well since who wouldn't like it.
I just believe that the fact it doesn't exist tells you that the trade offs aren't worth it. I didn't buy conspiracy theories how dozens of independent manufacturer and hundreds of hardware manufacturers that are on the side line so collude to keep this design choice at bay.
It costs less to make the inferior product, so even if you have to lower prices, you make it up in volume.
Why did Google even attempt Project Ara? Why did Fairphone or Teracube never produce a compelling product?
If anyone could make replaceable batteries work, even at a premium, it would be a big hit. I remember replaceable batteries and they were incredible. The batteries were slim, can barely feel them in your pocket. I popped 2 or 3 for my camping trip and never had to worry about charging.
The idea that there's collusion in one of the most competitive marketplaces in the world (consumer electronics) is an extraordinary claim. Companies don't just nuke their products and survive long term.
https://www.gsmarena.com/compare.php3?idPhone1=13955&idPhone...
I can see someone taking open a toothbrush, slapping a generic cell in there and then it going into water and having a fun time
Where is the danger? Even if I would put the wrong ones inside, from an RC race car (3,7V). I wouldn't even come close to dangerous wattage.
And since when does every device need to be idiot safe? I have a drill, a vacuum cleaner, a saw, a kitchen aid, bottles of isopropanol ... a lot of things are more dangerous.
And the vacuum cleaner the most surprisingly dangerous one, if one of your child decides to vacuum liquids from his rooms floor -- been there: vacuum destroyed, child survived. So, does that mean we only ever are allowed to buy models that can cope with wet and dry?
Oh, please. There's always an opportunity to be more paranoid I guess.
> The Commission is now adding six new product categories to the existing list of exemptions. This includes wearable devices such as smartwatches and fitness trackers, electric toys, and products within the scope of the ATEX Directive (equipment used in explosive atmospheres such as explosion-proof motors, sensors, pumps or forklift trucks).I can understand for super compact devices like AirPods, you cannot provide replaceable batteries without making the device larger. But why on earth would they exempt iPhones? Like is it rocket science to build a water proof battery replaceable phone in 2026?
My phone is IP68 rated, meaning prolonged submersion (at least 30 minutes) in water of up to 3 meters deep.
Why? What's the practical use here. It surely will make maintaining that level of waterproofing hard if you need to open it up...
I never had a need to replace phone battery myself (and I used to work on my laptops decade ago when it made sense).
iPhone batteries are over the required minimum cycle limit + water resistant -> no need to be user-replaceable.
Also people still have the notion that "user-replaceable" means that you can just clip off the battery while queueing in the store and snap on a fresh one from your belt holster. That's not what the law states, it just can't require specialist tooling. Screws and glue strips are fine.
Have a sales tax on each product that corresponds to the toxicity of its components.
Exempt recycled materials from the tax so companies have an incentive to collect old parts and recycle them, preventing them from going to a landfill.
Also, EU can't levy taxes, so it's a moot question.
You should read up on what the existing WEEE requirements are.
Not at all surprising, though.
I wonder what exactly that means. I hope the European Parliament won’t have to waste time voting on this.
I’d guess the number is pretty close to zero, these devices aren’t used for long enough for this to become a problem.
If the goal was to sell more AirPods, not implementing “Find My” for them would’ve been a much better strategy.
Every single pair of AirPods I've had has died due to one of them not charging anymore. I assume it's the battery.
No idea where/how/who looks into this though, so I've just bought new ones.
Dropping, and then stepping on them seems like a common failure mode.
Dirt can stop the charging, most people will just replace instead of cleaning.
Even replacing the rubber tips is probably too much to expect from most people.
I had the original AirPods and vowed to never buy them again because replacing the battery was so expensive.
Just ridiculous to throw away expensive audio equipment because battery replacement is as expensive as 50% of a new pair.
While good headphones from the 70s are still good, maybe with some foam replacements.
But argh, I have a feeling the AirPods turn themselves off while being charged...
The only thing that will change as far as I know is that battery won't be glued anymore. You'll still have to open the phone with screw like you did before.
If you've ever swapped a battery in a phone you would know that there are special battery adhesive foils for DIY battery swaps that have a tab that lets you pull on the adhesive foil and thereby remove the the battery much more easily.
Nothing like that will change, not with this regulation, which already exempts any waterproof device like a waterproof phone. Per the article:
> The iPhone was already exempt from the removability rule under the original regulation, thanks to its battery cycle life and water resistance rating.
The issue is people thinking they need to use maximum power to RIP it out, damaging everything in the process.
You need a constant slow pull on the adhesive, which heats it a bit, causing it to release cleanly.
Many phones are water resistant with manufacturers guidance as to time and depth of water it can survive, eg iPhones https://support.apple.com/en-us/108039
As far as I’m aware, after you go to Apple or Samsung for a official battery replacement, there is no advisory issued to say the repair affected the previous level of water resistance
A: add a gasket.
B: glueseal everything except for the battery, connected via exposed gold pads.