My phone and laptop have replaceable batteries. It extends the lifetime of these devices by years. Usually the battery is the first part to break.

First USB-C, now this. The EU is doing the lord's work

I mean, I like replaceable batteries and I try to repair everything I can that I own so that it lasts longer (I even replaced the battery in my wireless earbuds' case, doubling its lifetime so far), but swappable batteries have major downsides. Waterproofing is one, but a major thing is space. Sealed batteries don't need protection, but replaceable batteries do, and that increases their size by a lot. The last phones I've had probably couldn't even fit a replaceable battery inside of them how slim they are. So you either have to make phones much larger, or you have to reduce battery capacity. You also probably couldn't have metal backs and would have to return to plastic ones.

Some of these problems could be fixed but it'd make phones cost even more.

I don't know the answer to this, we should make phones more easily repairable, but I don't feel like this is the right way. Maybe mandating that phones can be repaired more easily by repair technicians and make the batteries more easily available. But I don't know how you could enforce that.

Maybe I'm wrong, maybe it's gonna be easier to achieve than I believe, but I don't see how it's going to be possible without major downsides.

EU has been taking major Ws lately

That’s nice. Pretty sure it won’t come to us.

A year ago I would have been absolutely for this. I mean I still had a smartphone with swappable battery (LG G4) 2015-2019 and only changed away from it because of the bootloop issues this phone had.

Though last year i switched to the Zenphone 9 and this phone has a phenomenal battery time in my eyes. I only slow charge it to 80% every 2 days and I could use the phone for more than 48h if i wanted. Fully charged i can use it for 3 days. I don't think i will see battery issues for a long time.

I could see that some future phone designs and technologies (like bendable phones) would have it difficult to include swappable batteries. I wonder if those could still use fixed batteries if they offer a free replacement each year or sth like that, instead. The USB-C changes are good for sure though

Heck yeah! I'm planning on getting a framework laptop when I next need an upgrade and if I get any input on the decision I'll be pushing for the corporate company I work at to adopt them. I'm admittedly not sure I'm ready to jump on the fairphone train yet but I'm open to the idea.

I will never get over Brexit. Europe were really looking out for us as consumers. Also supporting so many communities with grants and funding.

Eu w