Law suggestion: every phone has to have multiple options for operating systems
this post was submitted on 22 Apr 2026
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who on earth downvoted this?
Pro'lly an apple fanboi.
Oh that would make me extatic!
*unless the phone meets certain battery longevity requirements
Sorry folks, we were so close.
The regulation states that batteries must be removable using ‘commercially available’ tools – and that if specialised tools are required, they must be provided free of charge or at a reasonable cost when the device is purchased.
The directive does carve out exceptions: where safety or waterproofing could be compromised, battery replacements will require professional assistance.
So every device will require specialized tools to open that you have to buy separately, or require you to visit an overpriced professional licenced by the smartphone company.
Hey now there's extra steps to this, the company will provide a proprietary tool that you could in theory use to replace the battery provided you worked there 30 years but no one who works for their company actually uses, you can then buy the tool the company actually uses for an insane markup produced by a third party where first party gets residuals
Some politician will end up with a cozy seat on the board of a device manufacturer in return for this "unfortunate oversight".
Thank fuck we're saved from their oppressive, over-reaching policies here in the UK. /s
and headphone jacks, brussels. headphone jacks.
fuck it - i need a guitar jack in my phone too. just in case!
don't forget the sphygmomanometer
a total must in this economy
This was voted like 2 years ago. Why it's in the news now?
Here's an article from a year ago about the same thing: https://euroweeklynews.com/2026/04/17/new-eu-phone-rules-could-change-the-way-you-buy-your-next-mobile/
The law itself is from 2023: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2023/1542/oj/eng
So I guess it's just a yearly reminder.
The first article you posted is from a week ago.
Thanks for posting the law though, for anyone else curious about it here is the article that talks about replaceability :
(LMT = Light Means of Transport)
Article 11
Removability and replaceability of portable batteries and LMT batteries
1.
Any natural or legal person that places on the market products incorporating portable batteries shall ensure that those batteries are readily removable and replaceable by the end-user at any time during the lifetime of the product. That obligation shall only apply to entire batteries and not to individual cells or other parts included in such batteries.
A portable battery shall be considered readily removable by the end-user where it can be removed from a product with the use of commercially available tools, without requiring the use of specialised tools, unless provided free of charge with the product, proprietary tools, thermal energy, or solvents to disassemble the product.
Any natural or legal person that places on the market products incorporating portable batteries shall ensure that those products are accompanied with instructions and safety information on the use, removal and replacement of the batteries. Those instructions and that safety information shall be made available permanently online, on a publicly available website, in an easily understandable way for end-users.
This paragraph shall be without prejudice to any specific provisions ensuring a higher level of protection of the environment and human health relating to the removability and replaceability of portable batteries by end-users laid down in any Union law on electrical and electronic equipment as defined in Article 3(1), point (a), of Directive 2012/19/EU.
2.
By way of derogation from paragraph 1, the following products incorporating portable batteries may be designed in such a way as to make the battery removable and replaceable only by independent professionals:
(a)
appliances specifically designed to operate primarily in an environment that is regularly subject to splashing water, water streams or water immersion, and that are intended to be washable or rinseable;
(b)
professional medical imaging and radiotherapy devices, as defined in Article 2, point (1), of Regulation (EU) 2017/745, and in vitro diagnostic medical devices, as defined in Article 2, point (2), of Regulation (EU) 2017/746.
The derogation set out in point (a) of this paragraph shall only be applicable where such derogation is required to ensure the safety of the user and the appliance.
3.
The obligations laid down in paragraph 1 shall not apply where continuity of power supply is necessary and a permanent connection between the product and the respective portable battery is required to ensure the safety of the user and the appliance or, for products that collect and supply data as their main function, for data integrity reasons.
4.
The Commission is empowered to adopt delegated acts in accordance with Article 89 to amend paragraph 2 of this Article by adding further products to be exempted from the removability and replaceability requirements laid down in paragraph 1 of this Article. Such delegated acts shall be adopted only on account of market developments and technical and scientific progress, and provided that there are scientifically grounded concerns over the safety of end-users removing or replacing the portable battery, or in cases where there is a risk that the removal or the replacement of the battery by end-users would be in violation of any product safety requirements provided for by applicable Union law.
5.
Any natural or legal person that places on the market products incorporating LMT batteries shall ensure that those batteries, as well as individual battery cells included in the battery pack, are readily removable and replaceable by an independent professional at any time during the lifetime of the product.
6.
For the purposes of paragraphs 1 and 5, a portable battery or LMT battery shall be considered readily replaceable where, after its removal from an appliance or light means of transport, it can be substituted by another compatible battery without affecting the functioning, the performance or the safety of that appliance or light means of transport.
7.
Any natural or legal person that places on the market products incorporating portable batteries or LMT batteries shall ensure that those batteries are available as spare parts of the equipment that they power for a minimum of five years after placing the last unit of the equipment model on the market, with a reasonable and non-discriminatory price for independent professionals and end-users.
8.
Software shall not be used to impede the replacement of a portable battery or LMT battery, or of their key components, with another compatible battery or key components.
9.
The Commission shall publish guidelines to facilitate the harmonised application of this Article.
The first article you posted is from a week ago.
You're right, I pasted wrong link. There are plenty of older articles about this though. Not surprising since the law is from 2023. Funny how bunch of sites decided to write about it right now.
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Sadly, the law has a loophole which allows flagship phones, which keep 80% of their capacity after 1000 cycles and have at least an IP67 rating, to be exempt from this. So it's unlikely because right now there are some phone manufacturers which claim this durability. :(
I hope I'm wrong, though.
Where did you take this from?
The rules I found (https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=OJ%3AC_202500214) say that:
"Appliances specifically designed to operate primarily in an environment that is regularly subject to splashing water, water streams or water immersion, and that are intended to be washable or rinseable, may be designed in such a way as to make the battery removable and replaceable only by independent professionals"
It's in Article 11 here: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2023/1542/oj/eng
I don't see any info about this being amended later.
https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2023/1670/oj/eng
Section 5C point 2:
"From 20 June 2025, manufacturers, importers or authorised representatives shall ensure that the process for battery replacement:
(...)
or, as an alternative to point (i), ensure that:
(...)
- the battery endurance in cycles achieves a minimum of 1 000 full charge cycles, and after 1 000 full charge cycles the battery must, in addition, have in a fully charged state, a remaining capacity of at least 80 % of the rated capacity;
- the device is at least dust tight and protected against immersion in water up to one meter depth for a minimum of 30 minutes."
I could be too paranoid, but I found it always best to assume the most malicious interpretation when it comes to corporate law.
the battery endurance in cycles achieves a minimum of 1 000 full charge cycles, and after 1 000 full charge cycles the battery must, in addition, have in a fully charged state, a remaining capacity of at least 80 % of the rated capacity; the device is at least dust tight and protected against immersion in water up to one meter depth for a minimum of 30 minutes."
Tbh, that completely defeats the whole law.
Doesn't even have to be a flagship. It's any phone really. The 1000 charge cycles thing is quite easy to do. All you have to do is to limit the capacity of the cell from the beginning. So for example, if the battery originally has 5000mAh capacity, sell it as a 4000mAh battery. That way the battery can lose 1800mAh of capacity (=> go down to 64% of the total maximum capacity) without going below the nominal 80% mark.
Then waterproof the phone, as most phones already are, and that's it, done. No change at all needed to be done to the physical phone.
No, not the complete law, but it severely gimps it. No one's going to make a car or a laptop submersible. But phones and tablets are easy to glue together.
Watch them do it.
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It's fine by me, I just want to have the possibility to buy a phone with interchangeable battery and 2 SIM cards. As long as the phone has that, it's good for me.
I used to require dual sim, but at this point I'm happy with 1 physical sim and a couple of e-sims in rotation. I'm quite happy not to have to buy a sim after landing in Bangkok or wherever and instead buying a package for the global sim on file.
Only 1 physical Sim slot is fine, as long as there are 2 modems. In Germany at least you pretty much need to have two different Sim cards from 2 different networks to have good coverage in rural areas
This is still a good start nonetheless as it would normalize removable battery in the market.
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But USB c chargers is already a rule for a while, no?
Only on new phones.
So what changes? They will have to fix old phones now?
Before it was "If you bring a new device to market it needs to have USB C". Now it is "You are not allowed to sell new units of an old model that still as non-USB C".
Specifically, that means that e.g. Apple was still allowed to sell the iPhone 14, which has lightning, but the new iPhone 15 had to have USB C. The new rule means that Apple will not be able to sell the iPhone 14 any more.
Not very ecofriendly... i'd put "sell it at 25% original price until out of stock" or something.
Any new devices (point of first sale, probably) will need to carry it. Not just models that started being produced after X date.
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Fine, then I can use my phone without security patches or OS upgrade support even longer!
The EU is also working on forcing manufacturers to provide updates longer - 5 years after they are stopping selling them. With easier repairability, changeable batteries and longer updates the phone you buy might really last half a decade
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