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EU Parliament approves new law to make batteries on phones easily replaceable once again

By Iskra Petrova

Published: Jun 16, 2023, 2:36 AM

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EU Parliament approves new law to make batteries on phones easily replaceable once again

Do you remember the good old days when a bug causing your phone to freeze was taken care of by taking out the battery to restart it? Or, the ease with which batteries could be taken out and replaced in case they're old or need changing? Over time, sleeker phones came, but with the design changes, we also lost access to taking out the battery ourselves. Now, the EU Parliament is looking for a way to make batteries easily accessible and thus more easily serviced, reports Android Police.

EU Parliament votes in favor of a law to make phone batteries easy to access once again

There's a new law in works in the EU Parliament that will encourage users to replace batteries on their phones themselves, specifically by making the battery easy to take out. The Parliament voted nearly unanimously to ban the use of glue so that users can easily remove and replace the batteries in their phones.

This effort is a part of a bigger strategy, aimed to make batteries friendly to the environment but also to users. Basically, phone makers will be unable to sell phones that require special tools or training to open the phone for battery replacement or access.

But of course, like with any law that's in the process of being passed, quite some time may pass before it starts being enforced. Bureaucracy tends to take these things slowly while they pass different stages of voting and preparation. So far, it may be until at least 2027 that this law can make a difference in the mobile tech world.

As for next steps for this regulation: the Council will have to formally endorse the text of the law before its publication in the EU Official Journal. After that, it can enter into force.

Interestingly enough, the law might also affect how glue or any other adhesives are used in other parts of phone making. Like, for example, the law could potentially discourage phone makers from gluing display parts together. It's quite early to predict for sure what the effect of such a law would be, so do keep that in mind.

All in all, though, it seems like a pretty big deal and the law may actually change how smartphones are - even in markets outside the European Union. Of course, this remains to be seen, just like the effects of the USB-C standard charging law, which is expected to be enforced by the fall of 2024.

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Izzy, a tech enthusiast and a key part of the PhoneArena team, specializes in delivering the latest mobile tech news and finding the best tech deals. Her interests extend to cybersecurity, phone design innovations, and camera capabilities. Outside her professional life, Izzy, a literature master's degree holder, enjoys reading, painting, and learning languages. She's also a personal growth advocate, believing in the power of experience and gratitude. Whether it's walking her Chihuahua or singing her heart out, Izzy embraces life with passion and curiosity.