In addition to standardizing charging ports, the EU also wants replaceable batteries in future phones. There are understandable arguments in their favor, but it is no coincidence that more and more manufacturers are moving in the direction of non-replaceable batteries.

Exactly two years from today, on December 28, 2024, a regulation will enter into force in the European Union, according to which several types of devices must be equipped with a USB-C charger. The new directive brings changes to Apple’s life among smartphone manufacturers, following which iPhones should also have a USB-C port instead of the Lightning connector that has become Apple’s trademark.

According to lawmakers, the amount of electrical waste can be reduced this way, and it is indisputably convenient if any charger can be used for any mobile phone, since they are all USB-C.

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However, the European Union may soon impose another change, and this time it will not be limited to iPhones. The bill before the European Commission and European Parliament as a preliminary agreement wants to make it compulsory to supply mobile devices with replaceable batteries. Mainly for environmental reasons: such a solution could reduce the amount of e-waste in the European Union.

We have disposed of 57,000,000,000 kilograms of e-waste this year, although it would be worth 19,000 billion HUF

The BBC reported that the mass of discarded electronic devices exceeded 57 million tons this year, which is more than the size of the Great Wall of China. This estimate was carried out by an international group of experts (WEEE Forum) combating the global problem of discarded electrical and electronic equipment, which also noted that discarded objects are of tremendous value.

As long as the iPhone is an iPhone, its battery cannot be removed, but there have been some exceptions in the Android world, but now the trend is clearly following Apple. And what is the point of the removable battery? For example, the user can buy an extra battery and when it runs out, just replace it. In addition, the European Union will make things easier for those whose batteries fail, because time and money can be saved by not having to take the phone to a service center.

This all sounds good, however the next web It also draws attention to another reading. if it was It was burning for a long time Innovation is accepted, and phone manufacturers have to put replaceable batteries in their devices, and then they have to design phones that are thicker, since only sealed batteries allow for the production of thinner models. The capacity of batteries used in smartphones is likely to decrease as consumers are encouraged to purchase spare batteries, carry them fully charged and replace them frequently.

It is not yet known what the future will hold, but it can be assumed that phone manufacturers will take action against this bill. And that’s a big strength here. Because in the case of the USB-C port, only Apple is affected by the changes, since most Android phones have such a port. However, forcing all manufacturers to use removable batteries could lead to Apple teaming up with Android manufacturers like Samsung, Google, OnePlus, and others to prevent this initiative from succeeding.

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