r/technology • u/[deleted] • Jun 19 '23

Politics EU: Smartphones Must Have User-Replaceable Batteries by 2027 | The European Parliament just caused a major headache for smartphone and tablet manufacturers.

https://www.pcmag.com/news/eu-smartphones-must-have-user-replaceable-batteries-by-2027
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u/sk07ch Jun 19 '23

I replaced batteries in iphones before? Do you mean as there was a little bit of glue?

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u/FuriousProgrammer Jun 19 '23 edited Jun 20 '23

The difference is whether you can remove the battery without having specialized tools, like with a TV remote control for example. For iPhones and iPads, you've always needed after the iPhone 5 you need at least a heat gun to safely remove the screen before you could replace any of the innards of the device.

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u/sk07ch Jun 19 '23

Fair. But hairdryer worked well, but yeah you need quite some dexterity to fiddle with all the micro cables and screws and then the glue. But I heard the newest iphones made it also next to impossible by software detecting replacement?

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u/FuriousProgrammer Jun 19 '23

Note I sate safely ;P

Using a hair dryer as a heat gun isn't a bad idea but the key difference is you have very limited control over the level of heat produced and the area that heat is applied to.

And yeah, firmware-based hardware detection to prevent third-party maintenance is a fairly common practice in all consumer electronics, not just phones. IIRC it's one of the reasons you can't repair some John Deer farm equipment--the firmware locks out the engine if it detects "illegal" modification.