Removable batteries will return to phones in the EU next year. But don't get your hopes up too high

Do you remember the days when your phone battery started dying, and you just removed the back cover and replaced it with a new one in a few seconds? The European Union would like to bring something similar back into play. In less than a year, specifically on February 18, 2027, a regulation will come into force, according to which phones sold in the Union must contain batteries that a regular user can remove without major difficulties. However, anyone who imagines the comeback of the Samsung Galaxy S5 era while reading enthusiastic headlines will probably be disappointed. The whole thing may not be that simple.

What exactly does the regulation say?

The entire legislation, designated Regulation (EU) 2023/1542, was approved back in 2023, but due to the postponed effective date, it is only now starting to be discussed more widely. The main goal is to reduce the amount of electronic waste, which amounts to around 5 million tons annually in the EU, with less than 40% being recycled. According to official figures, approximately 150 million smartphones and 24 million tablets are sold annually in the Union, and savings associated with longer device lifespan could reach up to 20 billion euros by 2030, according to Brussels.

The key passage of the regulation states that a portable battery must be considered removable if it can be extracted from the product using commonly available tools, without the need for special or proprietary tools, thermal energy, or solvents. If the manufacturer still requires the use of a special tool, they must provide it to the user free of charge along with the phone. Furthermore, they commit to offering replacement batteries for five years after the last unit of a given model has left the production line.

First Catch: What exactly does “commonly available tool” mean?

The definition of tools is precisely where the greatest room for interpretation lies. According to 9to5Google, which delved into the details of the regulation, a classic Torx screwdriver, for example, can be considered a commonly available tool. If you can access the battery with tools you can buy from iFixit, the regulation is technically met – although the replacement will certainly not be as trivial as many imagine.

The problem arises with thermal energy. The vast majority of modern flagships like the Google Pixel 10 or Samsung Galaxy S26 have their back covers glued to the frame with strong adhesive, which needs to be heated with a heat gun before disassembly. And it is precisely the use of thermal energy that the regulation explicitly prohibits. Samsung has started to avoid this problem in recent years by housing batteries in special “pouches” with pull tabs, which means you don’t need heat treatment of the adhesive for manipulation.

Second Catch: A Big Exception for Many Phones

An even more interesting detail is hidden in Commission Regulation (EU) 2023/1670, which is the accompanying regulation addressing energy durability. It contains a crucial exception that waives the requirement for user-replaceable batteries if the device meets three specific conditions simultaneously:

• After 500 charging cycles, the battery retains at least 83% of its original capacity
• After 1000 charging cycles, the battery retains at least 80% of its original capacity
• The device must have IP67 or higher ingress protection

And this is where the situation becomes quite comfortable for Google, Samsung, and Apple. According to official documentation, all Pixel models starting with Pixel 8a meet the 80% capacity limit after 1,000 cycles, as do iPhones from model 15. Samsung typically performs even better according to available data, so the upcoming Galaxy S27 should also comply with the exception without issues. In short: if a manufacturer provides a sufficiently durable phone with a well-aging battery, they can continue to largely disregard its easy removability.

So what can we really expect from 2027?

A return to phones like the Samsung Galaxy S5, where you just snapped off the back cover and the problem was solved in a few seconds, is simply unlikely. Today, not only flagships of major brands have IP68 resistance and batteries surviving 1,000 cycles in the vast majority of cases, so they will easily meet the exception. Therefore, the regulation will gain greater significance for cheaper devices, where battery parameters and ingress protection are worse – there, it may paradoxically bring about a greater change than for the models most talked about today.

The most realistic scenario is a gradual shift by manufacturers towards more modular designs, better-processed adhesives that allow disassembly without heat, and possibly including small tools directly in the packaging. Something similar is already being practiced by HMD with the Skyline model, which is designed for easy repairability by manufacturers in cooperation with iFixit. According to information from Bloomberg, the regulation will also affect smart glasses, and Nintendo reportedly already has a replaceable battery ready for its Switch 2 console.

So, is this good news?

For the end-user, it’s certainly a step in the right direction, although we should set our expectations realistically. Don’t expect miraculously easy replacement like in the past, but longer availability of replacement batteries for five years after a model’s sales end is still very useful.

On the other hand, it must be admitted that thanks to the mentioned exceptions, practically nothing dramatic will change for the most expensive models. Google, Samsung, and Apple are well on their way to escaping the obligations simply by meeting the requirements for durability and battery life.

Would you welcome a replaceable battery in your new flagship?

Sources: 9to5Google, The Olive Press, EU-Lex, SamMobile, TechRadar, Bloomberg,