EU Eases Battery Removal Rule for Apple Watch and AirPods

The European Union has quietly adjusted its Right to Repair regulations, dropping the requirement that smartwatches and wireless earbuds like Apple's Watch and AirPods must have user-replaceable batteries. The move comes after manufacturers raised concerns about the technical feasibility and safety risks of making such small, compact devices accessible for battery swaps.

The original EU battery directive aimed to make it easier for consumers to repair their electronics and reduce waste. However, regulators found that applying this mandate uniformly across all product categories created problems for devices where battery accessibility conflicts with water resistance, durability, and overall form factor. Smartwatches and earbuds, which rely on tightly integrated designs to maintain their slim profiles and water-sealing capabilities, became the focus of an exception.

This decision reflects a broader tension in right-to-repair policy. While consumers and environmental advocates push for longer device lifespans and reduced e-waste, manufacturers argue that certain design constraints make traditional repairability impractical. For Apple specifically, this easing removes potential design headaches for future Watch and AirPods iterations, allowing engineers to prioritize miniaturization and sealed construction over modular components. The EU's willingness to carve out exceptions suggests that regulators recognize these trade-offs, even as they continue pushing the tech industry toward more repairable products in categories where it's actually feasible.