EU to Require User-Replaceable Phone Batteries by February 2027

A new era for smartphone design

From 18 February 2027, every smartphone, tablet and portable electronic device sold in the European Union will need a battery that consumers can remove and replace themselves. The requirement, set out in Article 11 of the EU Batteries Regulation (Regulation 2023/1542), forces manufacturers including Apple, Samsung and Google to rethink the sealed, glued-shut designs that have dominated the last decade of mobile hardware.

What 'readily removable' actually means

The regulation defines a battery as 'readily removable' if it can be taken out using commercially available tools, without heat, solvents, or proprietary instruments, unless those tools are supplied free of charge with the device. Replacement batteries must remain available for at least five years after a product's last unit is placed on the market, and manufacturers are expected to sell them at a reasonable, non-discriminatory price.

Incremental change, not a return to the Galaxy S5 era

In practice, the shift may be less dramatic than the headlines suggest. Samsung already uses pull-tab battery pouches rather than aggressive adhesives in recent Galaxy phones, putting it close to compliance without bringing back snap-off back panels. Analysts expect incremental gains in repairability: better adhesive design, clearer repair guidance and fewer barriers for users willing to open their devices, rather than a full revival of the removable-battery era.

The Ecodesign exemption

A layer of complexity comes from the EU's separate Ecodesign Regulation for smartphones and tablets, which entered into force in June 2025. Commission guidelines state that the Ecodesign rules will prevail over the Batteries Regulation for devices meeting certain longevity and waterproofing standards, specifically phones that maintain 80% capacity after 1,000 charge cycles with IP67 protection. That exemption could allow manufacturers like Apple to avoid end-user removability requirements, provided batteries can still be replaced by independent professionals.

A push for a circular economy

The regulation is part of a broader EU push towards a circular economy. The European Commission estimates the rules will help consumers save around 20 billion euros by 2030 through longer device lifespans and cheaper repairs, while cutting 2.2 terawatt-hours of electricity consumption. Alongside removability, the rules introduce mandatory battery labels covering capacity and hazardous substances, plus digital 'battery passports' that link via QR code to a battery's full lifecycle, from production to recycling. Waste collection targets also rise to 61% recovery of portable batteries by 2031.