Vendor or even model specific tools plus fighting with glue is not that complicated for someone willing to dedicate the effort, but it won't help recycling economy.
replyHeat gun? This isn't the type of consumer-friendly battery replacement which the EU is looking for.
replyreminds me of finding an old scout manual that said "go to your neighborhood blacksmith" - different things are "easy" for different people.
replyYou don't need a heat gun. A regular hair dryer is fine.
replyA fine way to start a house fire, sure.
replyStarting a fire with a hair dryer, without disassemblibg it, seems almost like a challenge. What are you going to ignite with 80-90°C warm, rapidly cooling air?
replyWhich is fine - but the law is the law and will look at what Apple (et al) provide and document.
reply(Thought Apple's $99 to do the repair themselves isn't terribly bad all things considered; and likely part of their attempt to forestall complaints and litigations).
Even with a good battery, bugs/features on the latest iOS can make iPhone 15 Pro Max battery last terribly, terribly short.
replyPart of the new requirement should be they can't kill battery lifespan in 2-year old phones through software updates, either.
Because even "replaceable battery" doesn't fix that serious problem!
I've replaced a battery in my 2019 Xiaomi phone for $5 (the costs of the battery), using basic tools - albeit the back was already ungluing itself, making that part easier. At 10x the price, it's hard not to call it a massive markup.
replyAnd you can do it for much less if you want. I've replaced phone batteries with 6 dollars worth of tools and a hairdryer. You can buy glue or sticky gaskets for next to nothing as well if you care about waterproofing.
replyMost people are going to give up in 1 minute trying to open a smartphone. I can't imagine most people I know succeeding to replace the battery by themselves.
replyMost people I know would come to me to replace the battery in an old Thinkpad, and those were made to be easily removable!
reply> so needing a heat gun it isn’t that difficult.
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