The European Union wants tech firms to offer devices with the ability to easily replace batteries. This could be possible by removing the back cover of a smartphone, which is something that was available as an option to users a few years back.
Soon, users could easily replace their phone and laptop battery.
In Short
- The EU wants tech firms to offer devices with the ability to easily replace batteries.
- This could be possible by removing the back cover of a smartphone.
- The profit margin of smartphone companies will likely reduce with the latest EU legislation.
By Ankita Garg: The European Union has been passing some important laws that aim to offer a better smartphone experience to users. It has already mandated a USB Type-C port for all phones, which is something that Apple will have to avoid by. It even wants tech smartphone makers to allow participation of third-party app stores. Now, the new EU legislation wants smartphone manufacturers to make batteries more sustainable and usable to users.
The law wants tech firms to offer devices with the ability to easily replace batteries. This could be possible by removing the back cover of a smartphone, which is something that was available as an option to users a few years back. Now, phones and laptops are manufactured in such a way that you don’t get to change or check the battery on your own. This basically forces people to go to service centers and they end up paying a lot because of this.
The best example of this is the high amount of money that Apple charges for any maintenance service of iPhones. With the latest update, the profit margin of companies will likely reduce because consumers will likely be able to take care of battery issues manually at a cheaper price.
The official press release says that the batteries will soon carry labels and QR codes to offer better information about them to consumers. People will be informed about a battery’s capacity, performance, durability, chemical composition, and “separate collection symbol.”
The new law is applicable to all types of batteries such as electronic devices, automotive batteries, industrial batteries, electric vehicles as well as two-wheelers. The EU is giving the OEMs a lot of time to avoid by the law and make this a reality.
Starting 2024, the companies will also be expected to report their total carbon footprint, including from extraction to the recycling process. The provided data will be used to set the maximum CO2 emission limit for batteries to better control its impact on the environment. The new rule not only better evaluates carbon footprint, but also expects the companies who manufacture batteries would be required to “identify, prevent, and address human rights as well as labor issues in supply chains,” as per a report by Same mobile.
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