iPhone battery replacement process won’t change anytime soon (if ever)

Today has seen fresh reporting that upcoming EU legislation will either definitely or probably force Apple to change the iPhone battery replacement process.

We’ve noted before that this is far from certain, and anyone expecting DIY battery replacements to get easier is definitely going to be disappointed in the short-term, and very possibly the long-term too…

The upcoming EU law

We’ve been following the planned legislation since it was first proposed last year.

Another proposed European Union law is to require manufacturers of electronic devices to allow consumers to “easily” carry out DIY battery replacement.

There were some breathless stories at the time, claiming that Apple was going to have to completely redesign the battery replacement process – but we noted that the company was likely to claim it is already compliant.

If the law does come to pass, Apple is likely to argue that its Self Service Repair program would meet the requirements.

The company would need to expand the program to all 27 EU countries, as well as its complete product range, but Apple is already on the case with both geographic and product range expansions. Given the timeframe, full compliance would seem feasible – assuming the program is deemed to pass the “ease” requirement.

Developments since December

The proposal was overwhelmingly endorsed by the European parliament, and we continued to caution against a fresh round of reporting.

This story is making the rounds with a number of sensationalist headlines, but there are a few caveats worth pointing out.

These new requirements are years away from going into effect. As currently planned, any such requirements would not be put into place until 2027 at the earliest. There’s also the caveat of whether or not Apple already abides by this legislation. The company will, of course, do everything in its power to push back against making any changes to the iPhone design [citing] its Self Service Repair program.

Some also drew attention to the vagueness of the wording.

A former iFixit employee writing in Arstechnica notes that the term “readily replaceable” is never clearly defined, despite a full 129 pages of text!

Headlines on iPhone battery replacement

But the issue is getting fresh coverage today. Many headlines – and often the full pieces – give the impression that big changes are ahead.

• How the EU’s new battery rule could change your iPhone and iPad forever
• Another redesign on the cards for iPhone as EU rules call for removable batteries
• Apple could be forced to make ANOTHER big change to your iPhone due to ‘ridiculous’ new EU law
• ‘This is ridiculous!’: Apple fans aren’t happy about new European mobile law
• New European Rules Will Force the iPhone to Adopt a ‘Readily Removable’ Battery
• Smartphones could change forever after new EU legislation

Well, you get the idea.

But our cautions remain

First, even if Apple did think it needed to change anything, it wouldn’t come into effect until 2027.

Second, it’s a near-certainty that Apple is going to claim that it is already in compliance, and if the EU disagrees, it will have to take the company to court. That will, at a minimum, drag the issue out for another few years.

Third, even if Apple loses in court, we can expect it to do the absolute minimum. My guess is that it will simply make the toolkit loan free of charge (instead of charging a rental fee), and maybe make a modest design change to reduce the 37 steps needed to remove the battery.

If the EU isn’t happy with that, then it will likely need to go back to court, so we can then add some more years to the tally.

In short:

• Most likely, nothing will change when the law comes into effect
• Any changes that do happen will be sometime in the 2030s
• And they will still be minor

Photo: iFixit

FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.