A European Union directive may compel Apple to make the iPhone and iPod batteries user-replaceable.
Currently, Apple likes to keep its batteries sealed away such that they can only be changed by qualified Apple battery mavens. This is ostensibly an aesthetic decision – an openable battery compartment would be ugly and add to the thickness of the device. Or something.
Tough, says Europe, we need to remove old batteries so they can be properly disposed of. The EU’s “New Battery Directive” is set to mandate user-serviceable batteries and openable compartments that will allow older power cells to be removed.
The directive, which is still going through the European Parliament is derived from the 2006 Restriction of Hazardous Substances Directive, which aims to reduce the amounts of lead, mercury, cadmium and other dangerous chemicals that are dumped as a byproduct of electronic waste.
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About Stuart Houghton
im sick of this kind of rubbish. first im not allowed to smoke, then not allowed to have my beautiful iphone as i like it, whats next?? no bloody oxygen??