The European Union (EU) battery regulation that pressured portable electronics to adopt a removable battery structure has exempted most smartphones and wearables, leading to assessments that the burden on manufacturers such as Samsung and Apple will be lighter than expected. Even if the law takes effect in Feb. next year, the practical impact will largely be limited to portable game consoles and e-readers, so its reach appears more limited than initially expected.
According to the EU on the 10th, the EU created a new battery regulation in 2023 that requires consumers to be able to directly remove and replace batteries built into portable electronics. The intent was to cut the practice of discarding intact devices when the battery reaches the end of its lifespan, thereby reducing e-waste. The regulation requires that all batteries under 5 kg installed in electronic devices be designed for easy replacement. Products that do not meet the requirements cannot be newly released in the EU market after Feb. next year.
However, as enforcement nears, smartphones and wearables, which draw the most consumer interest, have slipped out of the regulatory net. The European Commission recently announced that wearable devices such as smartwatches and smart glasses are excluded from the battery rule. It accepted manufacturers' arguments that smartwatches need sealed designs to withstand skin contact and exposure to the elements, and that wearables such as wireless earbuds and smart rings have cramped interiors that leave no room to design for battery replacement. Apple Watch and AirPods, Galaxy Watch and Galaxy Buds, and Ray-Ban Meta, among others, were relieved of the burden of having to overhaul product designs for the EU market. The rule was particularly cited as a barrier to entry for Ray-Ban Meta ahead of its EU launch, prompting a European Commission Spokesperson to issue a statement saying, "It is not that we yielded to (U.S.) pressure to exclude wearables from regulation."
Most smartphones also escape regulation. After the European Commission issued 2025 guidelines stating that the smartphone ecodesign regulation takes precedence when it conflicts with the battery regulation, smartphones that meet durability and water-resistance standards can avoid the mandate to adopt removable batteries. Under the smartphone ecodesign rule, devices are exempt from the removable design requirement if they use a battery with "durability that maintains at least 80% of its initial capacity after 1,000 charge cycles" and meet IP67 or higher dust and water resistance.
Most smartphones meet the "1,000 cycles/80%" standard. After June 2025, the EU set the minimum sales standard for smartphone batteries at "800 cycles/80%," meaning newly released smartphones after that must exceed at least 800 cycles to be sold. Apple's models after iPhone 15 and all Google models after Pixel 8a meet the "1,000 cycles/80%" standard. Among Samsung Electronics products registered in the EU Product Database for Energy Labelling (EPREL), none fall short. Some models, such as the Galaxy S25, clear the bar comfortably at "2,000 cycles/80%," and even budget lines like the Galaxy A16 and A26 exceed the standard at "1,200 cycles/80%." Smartphones that do not meet the standard are few, including the Motorola Moto G55 (800 cycles).
There is a separate category with no way out. These are other portable electronics such as handheld game consoles and e-readers. Because the "smartphone ecodesign regulation" does not apply to these products, they cannot be recognized as exceptions even if their batteries are durable. As a result, Nintendo has decided to release an EU-only Switch 2 that allows users to replace the battery themselves. Nintendo said last month, "In preparation for the EU battery regulation that will take effect in mid-February next year, game consoles such as Nintendo Switch 2 in Europe will be sequentially replaced with removable-battery products." Amazon is also reviewing changing its Kindle e-readers to a removable battery design.
Information technology (IT) outlet TechEconomy said, "At first glance, the EU battery regulation seems likely to have a considerable impact on the smartphone industry, but many of the latest smartphones already meet the exemption criteria," adding, "Wearable rules have also been eased, removing the biggest barrier."