POLICY MAKING SENSE OF THE EU’S FIGHT FOR USER-REPLACEABLE SMARTPHONE BATTERIES
歐盟爭取可更換式手機電池政策的意義
最近歐洲議會就一項法規進行了投票，要求智慧手機制造商使其裝置的電池更易於使用者更換，這只是其中之一。
That’s based on a June 14th vote in which the European Parliament voted overwhelmingly in favor of an agreement that would overhaul the rules around batteries in the bloc.
這是基於 6 月 14 日的一次投票，歐洲議會以壓倒性的多數投票贊成一項改變歐盟電池規則的協議。
The good news is that those headlines are fundamentally accurate; the EU is moving forward with regulation designed to require smartphones to have batteries that are easier to replace, to the benefit of the environment and end users.
好訊息是，那些標題基本上是準確的；歐盟正在推動一項法規，要求智慧手機電池更易於更換，從而對環境和使用者都有利。
But this being the European Union, there’s a lot more going on behind the scenes. And it’s these details that could have a significant impact on how and when manufacturers will actually have to comply.
但作為歐盟，背後的情況遠不止如此。而正是這些細節可能對製造商實際上應該如何以及何時遵守有很大的影響。
競爭性法規 Competing legislation
For starters, the widely cited 2027 deadline for offering smartphones with more easily replaceable batteries isn’t quite the whole story, according to Cristina Ganapini, coordinator of Right to Repair Europe.
首先根據歐洲自由纓維權組織的協調員克裏斯汀娜·甘納皮尼的說法，對於於 2027 年前提供更易於更換手機電池的延期是不完全準確的。
That’s because there’s another piece of legislation currently working its way through the EU’s lawmaking process called the Ecodesign for Smartphones and Tablets. It contains similar rules about making smartphone batteries easier to replace and is expected to come into effect earlier in June or July 2025. So by the time 2027 rolls around, some smartphone manufacturers may have already been selling devices with user-replaceable batteries in the EU for over a year.
這是因為還有一項名為“智慧手機和平板電腦的生態設計”法案正在歐盟的立法程式中進行中。該法案包含了使智慧手機電池更易於更換的類似規定，預計將在 2025 年 6 月或 7 月早些時候生效。因此到 2027 年，一些智慧手機製造商可能已經在歐盟銷售具有可更換式電池的裝置超過一年。
According to a draft version of the ecodesign regulation on the EU’s website, batteries should be replaceable “with no tool, a tool or set of tools that is supplied with the product or spare part, or basic tools.” It also says that spare parts should be available for up to seven years after a phone’s release, and, perhaps most importantly, “the process for replacement shall be able to be carried out by a layman.” The legislation is currently being scrutinized by the European Parliament and Council, and Ganapini expects it to pass into law in September this year, with its smartphone battery replicability requirements coming into effect a year and a half later.
根據歐盟網站上的“生態設計法規”的草案版本，電池應該是可更換的，“不需要工具，需要用產品或備用配件提供的一種工具或一套工具，或者基本工具。”該法規還指出，在手機發布後需要提供零部件長達七年，也最重要的是，“更換電池的程式應該可以由一個普通人完成。”此法案當前正在歐洲議會和議會審查中，認為它將於今年九月成為法律，其智慧手機電池的可更換性要求將於一年半後開始生效。
Despite the overlap between the two pieces of legislation, the battery regulation voted on by the European Parliament this month is still important.
儘管這兩項法規之間存在重疊，但歐洲議會本月投票透過的電池法規仍然很重要。
That’s because the battery regulation is more stringent than the ecodesign regulation in a key way: it doesn’t offer a loophole that would allow smartphone manufacturers to avoid having to make their batteries easy to replace if they’re able to make them long-lasting instead.
這是因為電池法規在關鍵方面比生態設計法規更為嚴格：它不提供任何可以讓智慧手機制造商避免製造易於更換電池的法規漏洞，如果他們能夠製造出耐用的電池。
Specifically, they’ll need to maintain 83 percent of their capacity after 500 cycles and 80 percent after 1000 cycles to qualify. Such devices would also have to be “dust tight and protected against immersion in water up to one meter depth for a minimum of 30 minutes,” according to the ecodesign rules — capabilities often achieved with glue.
具體而言，智慧手機需要在迴圈 500 次後保持 83%的電池容量，在迴圈 1000 次後保持 80%的電池容量，才能符合要求。根據生態設計規則，這些裝置還必須“防塵並能防水浸，最少可以在一米深的水中浸泡 30 分鐘”，這些功能通常需要使用膠水。
“We would rather have seen longevity requirements alongside repairability requirements rather than leaving the trade-off to manufacturers,” says iFixit’s repair policy engineer Thomas Opsomer. “That said, 83 percent capacity after 500 cycles and 80 percent capacity after 1000 cycles is a fairly ambitious requirement; it would probably translate to at least five years of use.”
iFixit 的維修政策工程師 Thomas Opsomer 表示：“我們寧願看到與可修復性要求相結合的耐用性要求，而不是將選擇權交給製造商。”他說：“雖然這樣說，但 500 次迴圈後保持 83%的電池容量以及 1000 次迴圈後保持 80%的電池容量是一個相當雄心勃勃的要求；這可能意味著至少五年的使用壽命。”
“A portable battery should be considered to be removable by the end-user when it can be removed with the use of commercially available tools”
“對於終端使用者來說行動式電池應該被認為是可以使用市售工具來取下的”
It’s unclear exactly how many manufacturers’ smartphone batteries may meet the requirements for this longevity loophole. For example, one Apple support page notes that a “normal battery” typically retains up to 80 percent of its original capacity after 500 complete charge cycles. But other manufacturers may already be providing batteries that are this long-lasting. Fairphone spokesperson Anna Jopp tells me the (fully replaceable) battery in its Fairphone 4 already fulfills these longevity requirements, while Oppo recently boasted that some of its batteries retain 80 percent of their charge after as much as 1,600 charge cycles.
當前尚不清楚有多少制造商的智慧手機電池可能符合這種耐用性漏洞的要求。例如，蘋果的一個支援頁面指出，“常規電池”在 500 個完整充電迴圈後通常保留原來容量的 80%。但是其他制造商可能已經提供了具有這種耐用性的電池。Fairphone 的發言人 Anna Jopp 告訴我，他們 Fairphone 4 的電池（完全可更換）已經達到了這樣的耐用性要求，而 Oppo 最近宣稱，其中一些電池在 1600 個充電迴圈後仍保持 80%的充電容量。
In addition to not offering the longevity loophole, Opsomer also points out that the battery regulation covers all products with a portable battery; it’s far wider-reaching than the phone and tablet-focused ecodesign regulation.
除了不提供耐用性漏洞外，Opsomer 還指出，電池法規涵蓋了所有帶行動式電池的產品；它的範圍遠超過僅針對手機和平板電腦的生態設計法規。
到底什麼樣的電池才算“可拆卸”呢？ What makes a battery “removable” anyhow?
A lot of the EU’s definition boils down to what tools are required for the procedure. Although “removable” recalls the feature phone era or one of Fairphone’s devices that only require a fingernail to open, the definition used in the battery regulation voted on this month doesn’t go that far. Instead of requiring removal without tools, the battery regulation instead places limits on the kinds of tools that will be needed to replace a battery.
歐盟對“可拆卸”這一定義很大程度上取決於所需的工具。儘管“可拆卸”讓人聯想到功能手機時代或只需要用指甲開啟的 Fairphone 裝置，但本月所透過的電池法規所使用的定義並沒有這麼嚴格。電池法規並不要求無需工具即可拆卸，而是對更換電池所需的工具型別進行了約束。
Here’s the relevant section: “A portable battery should be considered to be removable by the end-user when it can be removed with the use of commercially available tools and without requiring the use of specialised tools, unless they are provided free of charge, or proprietary tools, thermal energy or solvents to disassemble it.”
以下是相關部分：“當行動式電池可以使用市售工具而無需使用專門工具、只要不需要支付費用或使用專有工具、熱能或溶劑進行拆卸時，應將其視為可被終端使用者拆卸的。”
Rather than calling for entirely tool-free battery replacement, the wording of the regulation focuses on preventing end users from having to use proprietary tools or finicky processes. So the EU’s goal is less about turning every phone into a Fairphone 4, with its battery you can pop out in a couple of seconds with your bare hands, and more like the recent HMD Nokia G22, whose iFixit battery replacement guide still calls for the use of a basic tool or two. In other words, the G22’s battery can be replaced using commercially available tools that don’t seem terribly specialized and doesn’t require proprietary tools, solvents, or thermal energy like heat guns or an iFixit iOpener, which are designed to melt the glue some manufacturers use to hold components together.
電池法規的措辭並未要求完全無需工具即可取換電池，而是側重於防止終端使用者使用專有工具或繁瑣的過程。因此歐盟的目標不是要將每部手機變成 Fairphone 4，該裝置可以在幾秒鐘內用握在手中的雙手彈出電池，而更像是最近的 HMD Nokia G22，該裝置的 iFixit 電池更換指南仍然需要使用一兩個基本工具。換句話說，G22 的電池可以使用市售工具來更換，這些工具看起來並不是很專門化，並且不需要專有工具、溶劑或熱能，如熱風槍或 iFixit iOpener，這些工具是旨在融化一些製造商用來固定零件的膠水。
社論 Editorial
對環境和消費者產生積極影響 Positive Impact on the Environment and Consumers
The European Union's push for user-replaceable smartphone batteries is a positive step toward reducing electronic waste and promoting sustainable consumption. By requiring manufacturers to design devices with batteries that are easier to replace, the EU is encouraging consumers to extend the lifespan of their smartphones and reduce the need for new devices. This will help reduce the environmental impact of smartphone production and disposal.
歐盟推動可更換式手機電池是減少電子垃圾和促進可持續消費的積極步驟。透過要求製造商設計易於更換的電池，歐盟鼓勵消費者延長智慧手機的使用壽命，減少對新裝置的需求。這將有助於減少智慧手機生產和處理對環境的影響。
挑戰和關切 Challenges and Concerns
While the EU's regulations are a step in the right direction, there are challenges and concerns that need to be addressed. One challenge is ensuring that the replacement batteries are widely available and affordable for consumers. Manufacturers should be encouraged to produce and distribute batteries that meet the EU's requirements at reasonable prices.
儘管歐盟的法規是朝著正確的方向邁出的一步，但還存在著需要解決的挑戰和問題。一個挑戰是確保替換電池對消費者來說廣泛可得且價格合理。應該鼓勵製造商以合理的價格生產和分發符合歐盟要求的電池。
Another concern is the balance between battery replaceability and device durability. The EU's regulations aim to prevent manufacturers from using long-lasting batteries as a loophole to avoid making them easily replaceable. However, it is essential to strike a balance and ensure that consumers have access to both durable and replaceable devices. This will require ongoing dialogue between regulators, manufacturers, and consumer advocacy groups.
另一個關注點是電池可更換性和裝置耐用性之間的平衡。歐盟的法規旨在防止製造商將耐用的電池作為規避易於更換要求的漏洞。然而重要的是要在保證消費者獲得耐用和可更換裝置之間取得平衡。這將需要在監管機構、製造商和消費者倡導組織之間進行持續對話。
給智慧手機使用者的建議 Advice for Smartphone Users
考慮耐用性和可修復性 Consider Longevity and Repairability
When choosing a smartphone, it is important to consider not only the device's features and specifications but also its longevity and repairability. Look for devices that meet the EU's regulations for battery replaceability and are designed to withstand the test of time. Consider brands that prioritize repairability and offer spare parts and repair services.
在選擇智慧手機時，重要的是不僅考慮裝置的功能和規格，還要考慮其耐用性和可修復性。尋找符合歐盟電池更換法規的裝置，並且設計能夠經受時間考驗。考慮那些優先考慮可修復性並提供零配件和維修服務的品牌。
實踐負責任的消費 Practice Responsible Consumption
Extend the life of your smartphone by taking good care of its battery. Follow the manufacturer's guidelines for charging and discharging to maximize battery health. Avoid exposing your device to extreme temperatures, as this can degrade the battery performance. When it comes time to replace the battery, consider taking it to a professional repair service that uses high-quality replacement parts.
透過妥善保養電池來延長智慧手機的使用壽命。按照製造商的指南充電和放電，以最大限度地保護電池的健康。避免將裝置暴露在極端溫度下，因為這會降低電池效能。當需要更換電池時，考慮將其送至專業的維修服務中心使用高品質的替換零件。
負責任地處理電子垃圾 Dispose of E-waste Responsibly
When you no longer need your smartphone or its battery, make sure to dispose of them responsibly. Look for e-waste recycling programs in your area and drop off your old devices at designated collection points. Recycling e-waste helps reduce the environmental impact of electronics and ensures that valuable resources can be recovered for future use.
當您不再需要智慧手機或其電池時，請確保負責任地處理它們。在您所在地尋找電子垃圾回收計劃，並將舊裝置送至指定的回收點。回收電子垃圾有助於減少電子產品對環境的影響，並確保可以回收有價值的資源以供將來使用。
結論 Conclusion
The EU's move to require user-replaceable smartphone batteries is a significant step in promoting sustainability and reducing electronic waste. By ensuring that consumers have access to devices with easily replaceable batteries, the EU is empowering users to extend the lifespan of their smartphones and reducing the environmental impact of electronic consumption. It is now up to manufacturers to comply with these regulations and prioritize the design of devices that are both long-lasting and repairable. Together, regulators, manufacturers, and consumers can work towards a more sustainable future for the smartphone industry.
歐盟要求可更換式手機電池是促進可持續發展和減少電子垃圾的重要一步。透過確保消費者可以使用易於更換的電池裝置，歐盟使使用者能夠延長智慧手機的使用壽命，減輕電子產品對環境的影響。現在就輪到製造商遵守這些法規並優先考慮設計既耐用又可修復的裝置了。監管機構、製造商和消費者共同努力，為智慧手機行業的可持續發展做出貢獻。
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