As the European Union (EU) has finalized strong hardware regulations centered on extending battery life and guaranteeing repair rights against global smartphone manufacturers, major tech companies such as Samsung Electronics, Apple, and Google have found it inevitable to revise their strategies.
According to a report from 'gsmManiaK,' a leading IT specialist media outlet in Poland, on the 20th (local time), the EU will mandate a 'user-replaceable battery' design for all smartphones sold in Europe starting in February 2027, based on the 'Battery and Waste Battery Regulation (Regulation 2023/1542)'.
This measure aims to completely block manufacturers' practice of artificially shortening device replacement cycles under the pretext of environmental protection and strengthening consumer rights.
Smartphones to be rated like home appliances... 'Energy labeling' kicks in next June
The first hurdle in EU regulations is the 'energy rating system' approaching immediately next year. Starting from June 2025, all smartphones sold in the European market must mandatorily display energy efficiency ratings like refrigerators or washing machines.
This rating is calculated by comprehensively evaluating not just power consumption but also the durability and overall lifespan of the battery.
Until now, Samsung Electronics' Galaxy S series base models and Apple's standard iPhone models have maintained the identity of so-called 'compact flagships' by carrying batteries in the 4000-5000mAh range.
However, as power consumption has surged due to high-performance processors and AI features, the dominant analysis suggests that the existing capacity would struggle to meet the EU's strict lifespan standards.
An industry insider predicted, "Recently, Chinese manufacturers have adopted silicon-carbon (Si-C) battery technology and are equipping small devices with 6000mAh-class large-capacity batteries, and Samsung and Apple will also be forced to make design changes that dramatically increase battery capacity starting with the Galaxy S26 and iPhone 17 to be released next year."
'10-year integrated era' comes to an end... Full access to self-repair rights in 2027
The most disruptive regulation is the 'user self-replacement (Removability)' provision that takes effect from February 2027. This marks the end of the 'sealed integrated battery' era that has been the standard for smartphone design for the past 10 years.
Manufacturers must implement a structure that allows users to directly separate and replace the battery with only commonly available tools from stores, without specialized tools.
At the same time, manufacturers' post-service responsibility is significantly strengthened. They must stably supply repair parts for at least 7 years after product launch, and the practice of 'parts serialization' that blocks software functions at private repair shops because non-genuine parts were used is also prohibited.
Among market participants, there are also concerns that while these changes enhance consumer convenience, they could lower the completeness of devices.
(Continued below)
▶ Original source: https://m.g-enews.com/view.php?ud=2026042110544653342bd56fbc3c_1
