EU Exempts Apple Watch and AirPods from Battery Removal Requirements

dyl000

anyone know how you can build a water-resistant phone with a removable battery?

ivandenysov

> it must still undergo scrutiny by the European Parliament and the Council of the EU. I wonder what exactly that means. I hope the European Parliament won’t have to waste time voting on this.

fsuts

>some products, such as medical devices and so-called “wet appliances” (for example, electric toothbrushes or water flossers), are already exempt from this requirement, mainly for safety reasons. In these cases, batteries only need to be removable and replaceable by independent professionals. Note: this is exemption from user replacing battery themselves, not a blanket exemption on the product not being serviceable for battery As people will be wearing wearable products when it is raining these categories of clothes products have been classified as wet products [0] https://environment.ec.europa.eu/news/commission-adds-exempt...

illliillll

This seems kind of obvious. How many Apple Watches and AirPods have ever become obsolete due to their batteries not being replaceable? I’d guess the number is pretty close to zero, these devices aren’t used for long enough for this to become a problem. If the goal was to sell more AirPods, not implementing “Find My” for them would’ve been a much better strategy.

testhest

So the dummies just gave Apple a competitive advantage?

GuestFAUniverse

Electric toothbrushes are exempt? Why? We have several for our kids, with removable batteries from Oral-B. All are years old and still waterproof. And with that amount of voltage, where can there _ever_ be a "safety issue"? That is quackery! Sounds more like somebody lobbied successfully.

samrus

Cowards. Force them to implement resealable waterproofing

mg

Wouldn't a "toxic waste tax" be better than all these individual regulations? Have a sales tax on each product that corresponds to the toxicity of its components. Exempt recycled materials from the tax so companies have an incentive to collect old parts and recycle them, preventing them from going to a landfill.

plantain

Really a check-mate move from Apple. Onerous limitations that apply to everyone except the mega-corps.

maratc

Title a bit misleading: EU exempts all smartwatches (not just Apple Watch) and probably all wireless headphones (not just AirPods) as well: > The Commission is now adding six new product categories to the existing list of exemptions. This includes wearable devices such as smartwatches and fitness trackers, electric toys, and products within the scope of the ATEX Directive (equipment used in explosive atmospheres such as explosion-proof motors, sensors, pumps or forklift trucks).

sajithdilshan

> The iPhone was already exempt from the removability rule under the original regulation, thanks to its battery cycle life and water resistance rating. I can understand for super compact devices like AirPods, you cannot provide replaceable batteries without making the device larger. But why on earth would they exempt iPhones? Like is it rocket science to build a water proof battery replaceable phone in 2026?

acd

I dont agree for environments sake it should be user replaceable batteries even in small electronic devices. Hearing aids has user replaceable batteries

beej71

It's amazing how easy it is for big companies to get these carve-outs compared to common citizens trying to keep the government from monitoring their activity. Not at all surprising, though.