Leaked Documents Suggest Apple Could Be Forced to Build iPhones With User-Removable Batteries in Europe

[Steve63]

Except most of the other smartphone makers, iPhones already have user replaceable batteries.
If you can't use a screwdriver without hurting yourself, then you shouldn't take anything apart.

The sole problem is to get replacement parts, that not came out of a chinese trash can.

Yes and No. Look at the iFixit site - how to replace the battery in the iPhone 11. So many parts are "in the way" and need to be removed before reaching the battery (and removing the adhesive stripes) ... this is not easy ! A slightly better design that would allow just to loosen some screws, then remove the battery without having to remove several parts (Taptic engine etc.) can be achieved.
This would be a major step forward and would very likely not impact design and functionality of the phone.

 

[I7guy]

are you talking about my Nokia 3310? Now about 19 year of age, it did survive every situation I put in (and yes, even my toilet..twice) I’ve changed the keyboard three times, the battery more often but still works. It runs for about 10-14 days on a single charge which takes about 1 hour. Officially not water resistant but remember my toilet? It survived numerous drops from you never believe the heights. It has coverage where every other easy to break, hardly repairable, still not -despite promises- waterproof, forced to use Apple (#@&$) services (remember mobile me?)

and yes it is fat and ugly, but.. it.. just.. works..!

Yes, old lg vx 9900 Was the same. Just worked. Of course not the same as modern smartphone. But couldn’t FaceTime or iMessage.

 

[Onelifenofear]

The issue here is government oversight on something that should have nothing to do with them. It's a luxury item. If people want to buy a phone with a sealed in battery they can.

Apple for one are all about recycling use batteries and units. MORE removable batteries would just up in landfill than old devices.

*****Edit***** Actually followed this back the source a dutch Financial paper behind a paywall ( macrumors about 6 times removed ) and it's Chinese whispers at best.

 

[Ted13]

I have an iPhone 7 that is just about a year old and already the battery has taken a very noticeable hit.

If you were for real, you would go to Settings:Battery:Battery Health:Maximum Capacity and tell us what it is. Otherwise, "very noticeable hit" is impossible to take seriously.

This whole thing is a joke - about the only legitimate complaint would be that Apple overcharges battery replacement, or that their service is bad (to slow, unreliable, etc.) Everything else is just the same as the 2007 propaganda that an iPhone would fail without a removable/replaceable battery. FWIW, my 2007 iPhone lasted as an iPod Touch (my remote/alarm clock etc.) until the iPhone 5S was out - by then the original battery started swelling.

 

[Onelifenofear]

Yes and No. Look at the iFixit site - how to replace the battery in the iPhone 11. So many parts are "in the way" and need to be removed before reaching the battery (and removing the adhesive stripes) ... this is not easy ! A slightly better design that would allow just to loosen some screws, then remove the battery without having to remove several parts (Taptic engine etc.) can be achieved.
This would be a major step forward and would very likely not impact design and functionality of the phone.

Actually this is a more sensible approach anyway... Removable. Not stuck in but also not behind a simple Nokia 8310 back case.

 

[deeddawg]

I have the same phone too. No issues so far the battery is just fine. Also, change battery nowadays is not a huge deal. Usually cost less than $50 for older phones and you have someone else (hopefully knowing what they are doing) doing the replacement for you.

Price to have Apple replace battery on an iphone7 is $49.

Yes and No. Look at the iFixit site - how to replace the battery in the iPhone 11. So many parts are "in the way" and need to be removed before reaching the battery (and removing the adhesive stripes) ... this is not easy ! A slightly better design that would allow just to loosen some screws, then remove the battery without having to remove several parts (Taptic engine etc.) can be achieved.
This would be a major step forward and would very likely not impact design and functionality of the phone.

Yet you can go to Apple and have the iphone 11 battery replaced for $69 if it is out of warranty.

Compare to the $80 cost of a replacement iphone 11 battery from ifixit and I'm not sure why you'd DIY unless you simply couldn't get to an Apple store -- in which case it's still likely you can find some other shop to do the work.

 

[DoctorTech]

I'm wondering if "Minister of Smart Phone Design" should be an appointed or elected position. Either way, he or she can dictate screen dimensions, camera resolution, charging standards, etc. etc. Why let companies compete and offer different products to customers when we can have conformity /s

 

[1345873]

Yes, old lg vx 9900 Was the same. Just worked. Of course not the same as modern smartphone. But couldn’t FaceTime or iMessage.

iMessage, just a fancy form of texting... which btw are readable in.. iMessage! I quitted ft years ago, old fashioned talking is much more fun. Feel more alive .. or less idead.

 

[sir1963nz]

The European Union is trying to get involved in our lives on a micro level. Deciding what we buy and what companies produce. It's almost like a big communist state. Except that it's just a governmental body on top of everybody's own government and no country is a communist state on it's own. One forced thing isn't that hard, but they already decide on what kind of light we can use in our lamps and the amount of watts our vacuum cleaner are allowed to use. It may seem for the greater good, but it's all so restrictive. There is no real benefit in it.

There is benefit.
For a start its a good way to stop everything just being dumped.
I am about to fit a new battery into my iPhone 5s , there is nothing wrong with the phone, it does everything we need it to do, we just need the battery to be replaced.

 

[subi257]

Don’t be so sure. Europe is forcing them to use USB C. Bring it on.

Until people start complaining about damaged USB-C ports. I think the USB-c port MIGHT be a bit more fragile as the contacts are on a finger in the middle. With some many people carrying their phones in their pockets, they get an accumulation of lint collected in them. as people try to pick it out with something sharp, connector damage is a possibility.....just a thought.

 

[Speedy2]

Have fun with your fat, water-absorbing iPhones, Europe!

Dude, I would have expected a smart guy like u to be more reasonable here.

You know that Samsung managed to design waterproof phones with a user-replacable battery perfectly well.
These phones weren't much 'fatter' than iPhones at that time, if at all.
Samsung only stopped building these phones because the buyers of high-end phone don't seem to care too much about it.
Everyone is now used to charging their phone every night (remeber when we had to do that every 3 or 4 days?) and high-end buyers have enough money to get a new phone after 2 years.

I think all they need to do is make it easier to open up the phone and come up with an easy mechanism to take out the battery.
Right now, they use silly pentalobe screws on purpose to prevent that.

If every store around the corner can swap the battery, it's not a big step to make it actually user-replaceable!
It's an engineering challenge, but totally doable.
So why shouldn't Apple be able to manage that?

 

[ilikewhey]

Nope. I replaced the battery a little under a year after that grace period ended...

I see no reason to require this other than to just be a pain in some company's ass. There are bigger fish to fry than this.

if you really got it for 30 bucks, you got a case by case exception to the general rule, everyone and their mother will have to pay 50 bucks and 70 bucks for out of warranty battery swap

iPhone Battery Replacement - Apple Support

Need more power? An Apple Store or Authorized Service Provider near you can replace your iPhone battery. See the associated cost by coverage type.

support.apple.com

 

[jecowa]

There is benefit.
For a start its a good way to stop everything just being dumped.
I am about to fit a new battery into my iPhone 5s , there is nothing wrong with the phone, it does everything we need it to do, we just need the battery to be replaced.

You can already replace the screen and battery with amazon and youtube.

 

[Cole Slaw]

Yes and No. Look at the iFixit site - how to replace the battery in the iPhone 11. So many parts are "in the way" and need to be removed before reaching the battery (and removing the adhesive stripes) ... this is not easy ! A slightly better design that would allow just to loosen some screws, then remove the battery without having to remove several parts (Taptic engine etc.) can be achieved.
This would be a major step forward and would very likely not impact design and functionality of the phone.

I was going to type up something similar to your post. I agree, a more straightforward to remove battery would be great, and no glue/adhesives.
I remember changing the battery on an iPhone 4 or 5 series I owned some years ago; it was fairly straightforward to do. Also, make oem Apple batteries available to purchase.

 

[jecowa]

I'd rather Europe declare the 3.5mm / 1/4" jack the universal audio port and require one on any music telephony device.

 

[ewerdna]

Every battery is user-removable if the user is smart enough.

 

[1345873]

Until people start complaining about damaged USB-C ports. I think the USB-c port MIGHT be a bit more fragile as the contacts are on a finger in the middle. With some many people carrying their phones in their pockets, they get an accumulation of lint collected in them. as people try to pick it out with something sharp, connector damage is a possibility.....just a thought.

So making it less fragile, more durable, lintresistant while still usb-c could be real innovative? I foresee quality-driven innovation instead of the current marketing bs.
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Every battery is user-removable if the user is smart enough.

Every battery is user-removable in a smart designed device.
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Dude, I would have expected a smart guy like u to be more reasonable here.

You know that Samsung managed to design waterproof phones with a user-replacable battery perfectly well.
These phones weren't much 'fatter' than iPhones at that time, if at all.
Samsung only stopped building these phones because the buyers of high-end phone don't seem to care too much about it.
Everyone is now used to charging their phone every night (remeber when we had to do that every 3 or 4 days?) and high-end buyers have enough money to get a new phone after 2 years.

I think all they need to do is make it easier to open up the phone and come up with an easy mechanism to take out the battery.
Right now, they use silly pentalobe screws on purpose to prevent that.

If every store around the corner can swap the battery, it's not a big step to make it actually user-replaceable!
It's an engineering challenge, but totally doable.
So why shouldn't Apple be able to manage that?

because the willingness is lacking?

 

[cmaier]

Dude, I would have expected a smart guy like u to be more reasonable here.

You know that Samsung managed to design waterproof phones with a user-replacable battery perfectly well.
These phones weren't much 'fatter' than iPhones at that time, if at all.
Samsung only stopped building these phones because the buyers of high-end phone don't seem to care too much about it.
Everyone is now used to charging their phone every night (remeber when we had to do that every 3 or 4 days?) and high-end buyers have enough money to get a new phone after 2 years.

I think all they need to do is make it easier to open up the phone and come up with an easy mechanism to take out the battery.
Right now, they use silly pentalobe screws on purpose to prevent that.

If every store around the corner can swap the battery, it's not a big step to make it actually user-replaceable!
It's an engineering challenge, but totally doable.
So why shouldn't Apple be able to manage that?

It’s simple - two things can’t occupy the same space at the same time. If there has to be a mechanism to allow access to the battery, it absolutely will make the phone thicker than it otherwise would be. The only alternative is to reduce battery capacity.

It will also make it more fragile than it would otherwise be.

It will also interfere with the ability to Qi charge, because wherever that “door” is, there can’t be a qi coil there.

This is simple engineering.

 

[nvmls]

People running the EU are on crack.

Though America is the biggest consumer?
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In Europe you can’t even buy a decent vacuum any more, because the wattage on new models was regulated. They clean noticeably worse now.

Really? Your shopping skills must be impressive.

 

[siddavis]

What next? Forcing consumers to have a person pump gas for them, so they aren't messing with even more volatile gasoline? Please, there's no need to further emulate New Jersey. My 1½ year old is able to "mess with highly volatile batteries". Not that she should...

So you argue for this government intrusion by stating that another government intrusion is silly?
How about they just stay the hell out of these things and stick to the VERY FEW things they are good at.

 

[1345873]

It’s simple - two things can’t occupy the same space at the same time. If there has to be a mechanism to allow access to the battery, it absolutely will make the phone thicker than it otherwise would be. The only alternative is to reduce battery capacity.

It will also make it more fragile than it would otherwise be.

It will also interfere with the ability to Qi charge, because wherever that “door” is, there can’t be a qi coil there.

This is simple engineering.

So you would support the idea when a company would innovate and succeed in making a bigger capacity battery. You know innovation happens if there’s an opportunity...? Where it’s now not an option to developer it, because of Apple’s proprietary current design?

I would not mind a slightly thicker device, an exchange battery is a lot smaller than any powerbank.

simple engineering, bs! Like the marketing talk you repeat from insidetheApplebox.

Think free, make your problems opportunities, innovate!

 

[siddavis]

I have an iPhone 7 that is just about a year old and already the battery has taken a very noticeable hit.

Cool story. Get it replaced.

 

[the-msa]

The EU is going to end up with iPhones that are:
- fat, ugly
- no water resistance
- no ports

apple must only hire third grade engineers if Samsung can build phones that are thin, waterproof and have waterproof headphone jacks and usb ports

 

[PickUrPoison]

The idea is that instead of having the e-Waste of an entire phone after a year or two, however long your battery lasts, you can replace the battery. Since it's not expected to be handled like your AA or 9 volt battery, you can keep the current battery envelope. There's no need to make the battery extra-durable. It's just like how we expect adults to be able to be responsible around gasoline or fertilizer.

Do people really throw a one or two year old iphone into the ewaste pile because it needs a new $50 battery? There are plenty of places to get a battery replaced, if people don’t want Apple to do it.

 

[maerz001]

Yeah... because people upgrade their phones because of the battery. 🙄

Thats exactly what the EU ruling wants to solve