• New EU repairability rules for phone makers are arriving in 2027
• They mean phone batteries will need to be replaceable
• A return to the full pop-out mechanism is unlikely, however

Having ruled on age verification, device interoperability, and app store monopolies in recent times, European Union legislators are now turning their attention to phone repairability — and in particular, how easily a phone battery can be replaced.

As reported by The Olive Press, new laws are coming into force in 2027 that mean manufacturers are required to make it relatively easy to remove and replace batteries in mobile devices. These laws will only apply to the EU, but the mechanics of mass production means devices in other markets may well be affected too.

However, we're unlikely to see a return to the old approach to battery replacement — where a phone case could be popped off by hand, and the battery swapped out in a couple of seconds. As SamMobile points out, the regulations specifically refer to batteries that are "readily removable and replaceable" by the end user.

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That means batteries that can be taken out without using "specialized tools, unless provided free of charge with the product". So maybe it's less a case of pop-out batteries, and more a case of a couple of tiny disassembly tools included in the box — though we'll have to wait and see exactly how phone makers react.

As Bloomberg reports, this isn't just applying to phones and tablets either. Smart glasses are among the gadgets that are also going to be affected, while Nintendo has apparently already developed a Switch 2 console with a battery that can be changed.

The right to repair

EU to force replaceable batteries in phones and tablets from 2027 from r/apple

While current phone batteries can't be swapped out as easily as they could in the past, it's actually not that difficult if you know what you're doing. Apple already offers do-it-yourself repair kits for swapping out batteries and other components, for example, in part because of this incoming legislation and other laws around the world.

Indeed, it looks as though Apple may not have to worry at all: as noted on Reddit, batteries that can maintain an 80% capacity level after 1,000 cycles aren't covered by the new rulings. Apple meets that standard, as per its official support documents, on models starting from the iPhone 15 that launched in 2023.

Apple's incoming CEO John Ternus has previously said he supports the right to repair broadly, but thinks that "repairability in isolation" isn't always the best answer — and that making products that last is a bigger priority than making them repairable.

As for users, the reaction has been mostly positive: Redditors have called the incoming rules a "great consumer-friendly change", and a "good move" from the EU, with many noting that the battery is typically the first component to fail in a phone.

The legislation has actually been several years in the making, but is finally coming into force from February 2027. That means devices such as the Samsung Galaxy S27 could be among the first to have to comply with the new guidelines in the EU.

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Dave is a freelance tech journalist who has been writing about gadgets, apps and the web for more than two decades. Based out of Stockport, England, on TechRadar you'll find him covering news, features and reviews, particularly for phones, tablets and wearables. Working to ensure our breaking news coverage is the best in the business over weekends, David also has bylines at Gizmodo, T3, PopSci and a few other places besides, as well as being many years editing the likes of PC Explorer and The Hardware Handbook.