Tech makers are being dragged, kicking and screaming toward a world where users can replace batteries again.
New European Union battery rules taking effect on 18 February 2027 will require many portable electronic products to be designed so that batteries can be removed and replaced by users. This could affect headphones, e-readers, handheld consoles, laptops and possibly wireless earbuds.
The rules are part of Regulation (EU) 2023/1542, which entered into force in August 2023. The idea is to make batteries last longer, reduce electronic waste and stop manufacturers treating dead batteries as a convenient excuse to sell another sealed slab of plastic and regret.
The requirement applies to products containing portable batteries. Users must be able to remove and replace the battery using commercially available tools, or with special tools provided free with the product. Manufacturers must provide instructions and safety information.
This does not mean every gadget will suddenly return to the golden age of popping off a back cover with a fingernail. The phrase “commercially available tools” is broad enough to leave manufacturers plenty of room for mischief. A company could still require screws that need an electronics toolkit, provided the tools can be bought by ordinary users.
There is uncertainty over spare part pricing. The law requires batteries to be made available, but what counts as a reasonable price may only become clear after regulators, companies and lawyers have finished feeding on each other.
Some categories are likely to change faster than others. Gaming handhelds, e-readers and larger audio products have enough physical space to make replaceable batteries realistic. Wireless earbuds are a nastier problem. Their tiny shells already have to contain drivers, antennas, microphones, processors and batteries, leaving little room for repair-friendly design. Making them easier to service could make them larger or more expensive.
Wearables may escape the full force of the rules if exemptions apply, which will delight smartwatch makers.
The bigger disappointment is smartphones and tablets. They fall under separate EU ecodesign rules, which began applying in June 2025. These improve repairability, durability, spare part access and battery life requirements, but they do not guarantee a mass return to the old removable phone battery design.
Manufacturers can avoid user-replaceable battery obligations if they meet durability standards, including battery performance and resistance to dust and water. That creates an obvious escape route for phone makers: build sealed devices that last longer on paper, and argue that repairability has been satisfied by professional service channels.
Right-to-repair campaigners say this creates a false trade-off between durability and repairability. Waterproofing and robust design do not have to mean users are locked out of their devices. But phone makers have spent years turning glue into a business model, and they are unlikely to surrender it unless forced.
The EU rules could still reshape global product design. Companies may decide it is cheaper to build one repairable version for all markets instead of maintaining separate EU-only models. Others may try the usual trick of doing the minimum required in Europe while selling less repairable versions elsewhere.
