EU Drops Battery Removal Requirement for Apple Watch and AirPods

[vantelimus]

The same way people change the batteries on their Fairphone Fairbuds 🤷‍♂️

The market works well for luxury items. You pay a little bit more for the Fairbuds, but you get what you want.

 

[Pupi]

Why is the EU only focused on user-replaceable batteries?

The AirPods could need dedicated service and professional equipment to swap the batteries for all I care.

What they shouldn't be allowed is to just become e-waste just because a tiny battery died while the rest of the hardware is perfectly functional.

That's also worth pursuing.

 

[ryanmp]

This was basically the Bose QC20 - lol

omg lol, I hate when my groundbreaking ideas are already out there 🙂

 

[BvizioN]

Common sense prevails! What a shocker!

 

[turbineseaplane]

Why is the EU only focused on user-replaceable batteries?

The AirPods could need dedicated service and professional equipment to swap the batteries for all I care.

What they shouldn't be allowed is to just become e-waste just because a tiny battery died while the rest of the hardware is perfectly functional.

That's also worth pursuing.

100% this 👆

Some kind of battery service possibility should be the expectation.
Absent that, companies are not disincentivized from designing "e-waste" from the get go.

 

[GMShadow]

I was really looking forward to AirPods with AA battery sockets though...

 

[I7guy]

„Opening a compact, sealed enclosure and failing to reseal it properly could let water in and create a safety risk.“ - Sure, Jan. Wondering how much Apple paid for the exemption.

Whatever Apple paid, they should paid more. /s

 

[nikusak]

"Products can also qualify for exemption if their construction makes battery removal inherently dangerous, or if there is no realistic way to build in user access given current manufacturing methods."

You can just see Apple trying to spin that as an excuse to not make laptop batteries replaceable in its Pro range etc. I was shocked to see they made the Neo battery so easily replaceable. They should never have been allowed to glue them in in the first place, Apple made laptops with easily replaceable batteries, then glued them in with none user replaceable ones to make thinner laptops and increase profits.

MacBook Air/Pro battery is replaceable and there is no glue, but adhesive pull strips.

https://support.apple.com/mac-laptops/repair?services=service

Any authorised (or not) service provider will do the replacement, if you don't want to take the DIY option which Apple also offers.

Trying to make thinner laptops is not illegal and neither is "increasing profits", although Apple's margins have been quite stable for the last 15 years or so.

 

[wyliej]

I really don't understand people's alleged concern about AirPod disposal. Like the amount of material in them is tiny and, even considering their numbers, their contribution to the global e-waste problem is almost certainly negligible.

I am personally unconcerned about the environmental issues, but the whole thing reeks of planned obsolescence and is therefore an anti-consumer product. I don't think that it needs to be regulated, but I won't buy anything like this that is essentially self-destructing.

 

[thejadedmonkey]

why? its true. how the hell would anyone change a battery on such things?

In the before times, batteries weren't rechargeable and were replaced annually, even in waterproof watches.

 

[Rychiar]

In the before times, batteries weren't rechargeable and were replaced annually, even in waterproof watches.

cus everything was huge and had tiny batteries that couldn't possibly power a modern device....

 

[thejadedmonkey]

cus everything was huge and had tiny batteries that couldn't possibly power a modern device....

You can vary the size of the battery or circuit boards, but the engineering issues of waterproof devices with replaceable batteries was solved. Pebble smartwatches come to mind as one that's possible to replace the battery in.

 

[subjonas]

You only say that because you’re looking at a device that isn’t designed for that in mind. Note that the ear tips can be replaced on AirPods Pros, but not on regular AirPods as an example of a design difference for replaceability. Given a talented engineering team, a replaceable battery hurdle could be overcome, at the expense of Apple’s margins.

Apple could design user-replaceable batteries, but there would be necessary sacrifices like in compactness or battery life. It's the nature of trade-offs.

 

[t0rqx]

In a few years new article: Apple dodged EU battery requirements by implementing few lines of code that "lengthen" battery life health.

 

[1rottenapple]

I just use wired earpods with usb-c dongle. I can swap audio sources like a BOSS. Currently listening at work on an ipod, but can go to my monitor for a meeting or call. No charging needed and survices being left in the laundry.

 

[phuklok1]

not sure how i feel either way, but why couldn’t then stem have a small threaded end where it meets the bud? that is where the battery is located anyway. then you could unscrew it and only toss/recycle that tiny part.

 

[jarman92]

In the before times, batteries weren't rechargeable and were replaced annually, even in waterproof watches.

And what do you think happened to those billions of single-use batteries?

 

[jarman92]

not sure how i feel either way, but why couldn’t then stem have a small threaded end where it meets the bud? that is where the battery is located anyway. then you could unscrew it and only toss/recycle that tiny part.

Because the threads and requisite connectors would take up an enormous amount of space, meaning they'd have to be significantly larger or have significantly less battery capacity.

 

[TonnyM]

How generous.

 

[jarman92]

Why is the EU only focused on user-replaceable batteries?

The AirPods could need dedicated service and professional equipment to swap the batteries for all I care.

What they shouldn't be allowed is to just become e-waste just because a tiny battery died while the rest of the hardware is perfectly functional.

That's also worth pursuing.

Yeah! The EU should just nationalize the means of production and take over product design and manufacturing itself!

 

[nikusak]

I am personally unconcerned about the environmental issues, but the whole thing reeks of planned obsolescence and is therefore an anti-consumer product. I don't think that it needs to be regulated, but I won't buy anything like this that is essentially self-destructing.

People love AirPods. People don't love "anti-consumer" products. Clearly, all the other features of AirPods are more important than being able to replace the batteries.

Fairbuds offer replaceable batteries, but the sales are tiny. They are also huge and ugly. Making them easily repairable clearly has a cost and Apple has prioritised other features.

I wouldn't mind some sort of reasonable trade-in scheme though which would encourage people to recycle the AirPods and cases properly, instead of leaving them in a drawer once the battery is bad.

My 2019 AirPods are, amazingly, still fine. I haven't used them even close to daily though, but with moderate use they will last quite a long time. The new ones have the optional 80% charge limit too which might help a bit to preserve the battery.

For Watches a replaceable battery is a more sensible goal, at least if the battery is replaced by a professional so that the sealing is done properly. We would probably still have to settle for slightly smaller batteries (or chunkier Watch), if they were easily replaceable.

Apple offers battery replacement for Watches, but they'll send you a replacement unit and recycle the old one.

 

[turbineseaplane]

Yeah! The EU should just nationalize the means of production and take over product design and manufacturing itself!

That sounds awfully "USA-like" these days - 🤣

 

[jarman92]

They should never have been allowed to glue them in in the first place

Truly astounding how quickly these threads devolve into authoritarian wish-casting. Feel free to move to North Korea if you yearn for a state-directed economy this badly—I'm sure their tech is very advanced and user-friendly!

 

[nikusak]

not sure how i feel either way, but why couldn’t then stem have a small threaded end where it meets the bud? that is where the battery is located anyway. then you could unscrew it and only toss/recycle that tiny part.

Only the old school AirPods with the long stems have the battery in the stems. Pros etc. have the battery in the "fat part".

Sure, Apple could design AirPods with replaceable batteries, but the AirPods would look be bigger and chunkier. Just look at Fairbuds.

 

[nikusak]

I just use wired earpods with usb-c dongle. I can swap audio sources like a BOSS. Currently listening at work on an ipod, but can go to my monitor for a meeting or call. No charging needed and survices being left in the laundry.

Many of my wired earbuds developed issues with the wires sooner or later, even with moderate use...maybe the more expensive ones are of better quality.