Misleading title. Phones can still be glued. Waterproof phones still don’t need to have a user replaceable battery (the battery needs to be replaceable but by professionals).
Do you have a reference for that? From all the documentation I’ve seen elsewhere, that’s not true. There’s no exclusion for waterproof devices, and everything has to be possible with tools a normal person can buy (you might need to go to a local hardware store, but no unique specialist expensive kit).
It’s totally possible to make waterproof phones with removable batteries - Samsung did it with the Galaxy S5 (IP67 - 1 meter under water for 30 minutes) way back in 2014 and there’s lots of other examples. It’s just not quite as cheap as glueing everything together.
Thank you for linking the text. For anyone wondering, here is Ch. 2, Article 11 regarding portable battery replacement:
Article 11
Removability and replaceability of portable batteries
Portable batteries incorporated in appliances shall be readily removable and
replaceable by the end-user or by independent operators during the lifetime of the appliance, if the batteries have a shorter lifetime than the appliance, or at the latest at the end of the lifetime of the appliance.
A battery is readily replaceable where, after its removal from an appliance, it can be substituted by a similar battery, without affecting the functioning or the performance of that appliance.
The obligations set out in paragraph 1 shall not apply where
(a) continuity of power supply is necessary and a permanent connection between the appliance and the portable battery is required for safety, performance,
medical or data integrity reasons; or
(b) the functioning of the battery is only possible when the battery is integrated into the structure of the appliance.
The Commission shall adopt guidance to facilitate harmonised application of the
derogations set out in paragraph 2
“if the batteries have a shorter lifetime than the device” sounds like it could be exploited though, well folks the processor can only last 2 years on these new phones because of (insert random corpo bullshit here)
By way of derogation from paragraph 1, the following products incorporating portable batteries may be designed in such a way as to make the battery removable and replaceable only by independent professionals:
(a) appliances specifically designed to operate primarily in an environment that is regularly subject to splashing water, water streams or water immersion, and that are intended to be washable or rinseable;
(b) professional medical imaging and radiotherapy devices, as defined in Article 2, point (1), of Regulation (EU) 2017/745, and in-vitro diagnostic medical devices, as defined in Article 2, point (2), of Regulation (EU) 2017/746.
I will assume that your example is the reason for your your comment, and while I agree this does open the door for exclusion, that is after all a reasonable one.
You cannot have a consumer device at a reasonable price point, designed to provide water resilience, which also contains an open section to the power supply.
You cannot have a consumer device at a reasonable price point, designed to provide water resilience, which also contains an open section to the power supply.
You certainly can. Look up any flagship smartphone and you can see that they provide water resilience and they have a charging port.
I am not saying it cannot be done. I’m saying that most of us are not walking around with $2000 phones, nor do we want to.
As a consumer I want a choice, not a mandate. I am more interested in getting an affordable phone myself then whether or not I can opening it up easily.
But if you want a phone that can do that I believe you have the right to that.
Misleading title. Phones can still be glued. Waterproof phones still don’t need to have a user replaceable battery (the battery needs to be replaceable but by professionals).
Do you have a reference for that? From all the documentation I’ve seen elsewhere, that’s not true. There’s no exclusion for waterproof devices, and everything has to be possible with tools a normal person can buy (you might need to go to a local hardware store, but no unique specialist expensive kit).
The full law is here: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/docs_autres_institutions/commission_europeenne/com/2020/0798/COM_COM(2020)0798_EN.pdf. It only mentions ‘water’ 3 times and none of them relate to waterproof phones (they’re talking about batteries of waterbourne transport & environmental impact of water use) so I don’t know where that’s coming from.
It’s totally possible to make waterproof phones with removable batteries - Samsung did it with the Galaxy S5 (IP67 - 1 meter under water for 30 minutes) way back in 2014 and there’s lots of other examples. It’s just not quite as cheap as glueing everything together.
Thank you for linking the text. For anyone wondering, here is Ch. 2, Article 11 regarding portable battery replacement:
“if the batteries have a shorter lifetime than the device” sounds like it could be exploited though, well folks the processor can only last 2 years on these new phones because of (insert random corpo bullshit here)
https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/TA-9-2023-0237_EN.html#title2
(a) appliances specifically designed to operate primarily in an environment that is regularly subject to splashing water, water streams or water immersion, and that are intended to be washable or rinseable;
(b) professional medical imaging and radiotherapy devices, as defined in Article 2, point (1), of Regulation (EU) 2017/745, and in-vitro diagnostic medical devices, as defined in Article 2, point (2), of Regulation (EU) 2017/746.
I will assume that your example is the reason for your your comment, and while I agree this does open the door for exclusion, that is after all a reasonable one.
You cannot have a consumer device at a reasonable price point, designed to provide water resilience, which also contains an open section to the power supply.
Galaxy S5 did it.
You certainly can. Look up any flagship smartphone and you can see that they provide water resilience and they have a charging port.
They are all closed cover designs though.
I am not saying it cannot be done. I’m saying that most of us are not walking around with $2000 phones, nor do we want to.
As a consumer I want a choice, not a mandate. I am more interested in getting an affordable phone myself then whether or not I can opening it up easily.
But if you want a phone that can do that I believe you have the right to that.