The European Commission has announced new exemptions to its upcoming battery replacement rules, meaning devices including AirPods and Apple Watch will not be required to feature batteries that can be removed and replaced by users.
Under the European Union’s Batteries Regulation, portable batteries built into products sold in the EU must generally be removable and replaceable by consumers. The requirement, which comes into effect in February 2027, is designed to extend the lifespan of products by making battery replacements easier, while also supporting recycling and the collection of used batteries.
However, the European Commission has now added six new product categories to the list of exemptions, including wearable devices such as smartwatches and fitness trackers. The exemptions effectively cover products including Apple Watch and AirPods, which use small, tightly sealed designs where allowing users to open the device could create safety or water resistance concerns.
The exemption does not mean batteries in the affected products can remain permanently sealed inside. Instead, batteries will only need to be removable and replaceable by independent professionals rather than the end user.
The news comes shortly after The Apple Post reported that Apple is working on new Apple Pencil models that could feature replaceable batteries to comply with the same EU regulation. Apple is reportedly developing new versions of the standard Apple Pencil and Apple Pencil Pro for release in early 2027, with changes to their internal battery systems expected to improve repairability.
Image: Apple
Apple has already made changes to some of its products to simplify battery replacement. The iPhone 16 introduced a new electrically debondable adhesive for the battery, allowing the adhesive holding the battery in place to be released using a low-voltage electrical current. The change makes removing the battery considerably easier than the pull-tab adhesive system used on earlier models.
Despite the wider EU rules, recent iPhone models may not be required to offer fully user-replaceable batteries. The regulation includes exemptions for devices that meet certain battery durability and water resistance requirements. Apple says batteries in iPhone 15 models and later are designed to retain 80% of their original capacity after 1,000 complete charge cycles under ideal conditions.
The European Commission says the Batteries Regulation is intended to extend the lifespan of electronic products and make it easier to collect and recycle used batteries. The newly adopted exemptions will now be reviewed by the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union before entering into force.
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