Smartphone and Electronic Device Batteries: What Will Change Under New EU Rules Starting in 2027

The European Union is profoundly reshaping how battery powered electronic devices are designed, sold, and repaired. The most widely discussed measure concerns smartphones, tablets, and many other everyday devices: starting in 2027, batteries will generally need to be easier for users to replace, or at the very least more accessible for repair.

But this change is actually only the tip of a much broader regulatory intervention affecting the entire supply chain: from product design to collection systems, from recycling to consumer transparency.

This issue is central for at least three reasons.

First: batteries are one of the components that most quickly determine the decline of a device.
Second: replacing them is often made unnecessarily difficult by design choices aimed at producing thinner, waterproof, and sealed devices.
Third: Europe wants to reduce electronic waste and improve the recovery of critical raw materials such as lithium, cobalt, and nickel.

These new rules are therefore part of a broader industrial and environmental strategy aimed at strengthening the circular economy, the right to repair, and Europe’s technological autonomy.

The regulatory framework

The European reform is primarily based on two separate but complementary pieces of legislation.

The first is Regulation (EU) 2023/1542, commonly known as the Battery Regulation, which governs the entire lifecycle of batteries: production, market placement, collection, recycling, recycled content, labeling, and producer responsibility.

The second is Regulation (EU) 2023/1670, focused on the ecodesign requirements for smartphones and tablets, introducing rules related to durability, repairability, software updates, and spare parts availability.

The provision that has attracted the most attention is Article 11 of the Battery Regulation, which will fully apply starting February 18, 2027. From that date, many portable batteries integrated into devices must be designed so they can be removed and replaced by the end user.

Many interpreted this provision as a historic turning point against so called sealed devices, products where battery access is complex and often reserved for specialized repair services.

However, the legal framework is not entirely straightforward.

The ecodesign rules for smartphones and tablets, already applicable since June 20, 2025, introduce product specific requirements. In other words, for certain devices, general battery legislation overlaps with more detailed sector specific rules.

And it is precisely within this overlap that the true interpretation of the reform becomes critical.

Smartphones and tablets: the most delicate issue

Smartphones and tablets have generated the most debate because they represent the clearest conflict between two opposing priorities: sustainability and repairability on one side, and extreme integration, water resistance, slim design, and manufacturing efficiency on the other.

For these devices, the Ecodesign Regulation already imposes several concrete obligations.

Manufacturers must guarantee improved battery durability, with a target of at least 800 charging cycles while retaining 80 percent of original capacity.

They must also:

• Make spare parts available for at least 7 years after the product is discontinued
• Provide software updates for at least 5 years
• Offer non discriminatory access to repair tools for professional repair providers

This means European lawmakers are not simply asking for removable batteries, but rather devices designed to last longer and be repaired with fewer obstacles.

The logic is clear: if the battery is no longer the first weak point of a phone, consumers will feel less pressure to replace the entire device after just a few years.

However, an important interpretative issue remains.

European guidance has clarified that for products already covered by ecodesign rules, such as smartphones and tablets, those specific requirements take precedence over the broader Battery Regulation.

In practical terms, many observers believe this means smartphones and tablets will not necessarily be forced to return to old style removable back covers.

The battery must be easier to replace, but not necessarily visible or instantly accessible without any technical steps.

How the two regulations work together

The Ecodesign Regulation (EU) 2023/1670 and the Battery Regulation (EU) 2023/1542 work together.

The first guarantees durability, spare parts availability, and structural repairability, already in force since 2025.

The second requires that, beginning in 2027, batteries must be removable by end users using commonly available tools, without damaging the device and without relying on chemical solvents or thermal adhesives.

The practical outcome?

We are not necessarily going back to old removable battery covers.

But manufacturers will need to design smartphones and tablets with battery access that is significantly easier than it is today, using standard screwdrivers, accessible screws, and more repair friendly assembly methods.

Even devices with IP68 water resistance will need to comply unless they meet exceptional performance targets, such as 1,000 charging cycles while maintaining 80 percent battery capacity, which may qualify for exemptions.

Starting February 18, 2027, replacing your phone battery at home should become legally easier and far more accessible, significantly reducing planned obsolescence and repair costs.

Europe is rewriting the rules of mobile design, and manufacturers will no longer be able to hide behind the myth of the permanently sealed device.

What changes for other devices

While smartphones and tablets dominate headlines, the actual scope of the regulation is much broader.

The battery replacement requirement applies to a wide range of consumer electronics, including:

• Laptops
• Wireless earbuds
• Audio devices
• Portable tools
• Many other battery powered products

Here, the principle is even clearer: batteries must be removable and replaceable by users using commonly available tools, without destructive procedures, solvents, heat guns, or mandatory manufacturer intervention.

This represents a major design revolution because companies must rethink product assembly from the earliest development stages.

Ultra thin devices may need to compromise between compactness and accessibility.

Waterproof devices will need to balance sealing performance with ease of opening.

In essence, the market may be forced to redefine the concept of premium design, not just minimalism and rigidity, but also durability, modularity, and maintainability.

Exceptions and special cases

As often happens with European regulations, not everything is absolute.

The regulation includes exemptions for products where user battery replacement would be impractical or incompatible with the device’s intended function.

These may include:

• Devices designed for wet environments
• Certain medical devices
• Products requiring uninterrupted power supply
• Other highly specialized technical products

The goal is not to impose identical design standards on every electronic device, but to establish a broader principle of replaceability compatible with real world use and product safety.

That flexibility, however, is also one of the most controversial aspects.

Companies may seek exemptions or argue technical limitations.

The real debate is how aggressively Europe will defend repairability goals against industry pushback.

The burden on manufacturers

For producers, the impact will be significant.

Companies will need to redesign:

• Materials
• Adhesives
• Fastening systems
• Internal component placement
• After sales service strategies

Post sale support will become increasingly important because spare parts and technical documentation availability will be essential for compliance.

Companies that have already invested in repair friendly design may benefit.

Highly integrated hardware models could face greater challenges.

Initial development costs may rise during the transition period, but longer lasting devices could eventually reduce obsolescence and strengthen consumer trust.

There is also a strategic opportunity for Europe.

A more regulated repair and recycling market could create growth opportunities for:

• Service centers
• Spare parts suppliers
• Refurbishment businesses
• Material recovery companies

Over time, this could support business models built not on constantly selling new products, but on extending product life cycles.

The benefit for consumers

From a consumer perspective, the reform offers clear advantages.

Devices designed to last longer and be repaired more easily help extend the value of the original purchase.

In many cases, replacing a battery could prevent consumers from having to replace an entire smartphone or tablet.

There is also a psychological shift.

Consumers may no longer accept the idea that an old phone automatically needs replacing after two or three years.

The battery becomes a maintainable component, not a point of no return.

This could reward brands that build more durable and honest products.

Of course, easier battery replacement will not solve every issue.

Software updates, app compatibility, cybersecurity, and long term technical support remain important challenges.

But Europe is targeting one of the biggest bottlenecks in device longevity, and that could have a much larger impact than it initially appears.

Environmental impact and recycling

One of the main goals of the reform is reducing the environmental footprint of consumer electronics.

Batteries contain valuable but also critical materials whose extraction carries economic, environmental, and geopolitical costs.

Improving durability, repairability, and material recovery helps reduce dependence on virgin raw materials.

The regulation also introduces targets for:

• Recycling rates
• Recycled content
• Labeling
• Traceability systems

This aims to create a more transparent value chain where consumers understand not only how long a battery lasts, but also how it was produced, how much recycled material it contains, and how it should be disposed of at end of life.

At its core, this is as much a political strategy as it is a technical one.

Europe is trying to reduce dependence on external suppliers and retain more economic value within its own industrial ecosystem.

Because batteries are central to both digital and energy transitions, they have become a strategic battleground.

A transformation still in progress

Despite its symbolic importance, this reform is not the end of the story.

Much will depend on:

• Regulatory interpretation
• Enforcement mechanisms
• Market surveillance
• Manufacturers’ willingness to comply in good faith

There is also a timing issue.

Some rules are already active.

Others will apply in 2027.

Additional measures will arrive in later years.

The transition will happen gradually, not overnight.

The effects on newly released devices will emerge over time, while products already on the market will continue through their normal lifecycle.

For consumers, the real question remains simple:

When my battery degrades, will I be able to replace it easily, or will I be forced to replace the entire device?

Europe’s answer is that, at least in principle, the second option should become far less common.

The success of this reform will ultimately be measured there: in turning strong regulatory intentions into everyday reality.

We would like to thank Eleonora Viscardi for contributing alongside the editorial team to this important analysis.