Terribly Interesting
In February 2027, a law comes into force across the European Union that will change how smartphones are built. EU Regulation 2023/1542 requires every phone and tablet sold in the bloc to have a battery the owner can remove and replace using simple, commonly available tools. Not a repair shop. Not a warranty void. Just the owner, the device, and a screwdriver.
The law is a direct response to the e-waste problem. Electronic waste is currently the fastest-growing waste stream in the world, and a significant portion of it is devices discarded not because they stopped working but because the battery degraded and replacement was too expensive or too complicated.
The average lithium-ion battery in a smartphone loses meaningful capacity within two to three years of regular use. Under the old model, that meant a new phone. Under the new model, that means a new battery costing a fraction of the price. Read More »
