EU battery ruling leaves AirPods removable-battery hopes dim

New EU guidance appears to have carved out a major exception to its push for more repairable electronics: wearables. That gray area likely covers products such as AirPods, Apple Watch, fitness trackers, and smart glasses, meaning they may not need replaceable batteries after all.

According to clarifications published on the European Commission’s website, wearables have been moved into a “wet appliances” category for devices that may need sealed designs for safety reasons. The guidance defines wearables as portable electronic devices worn on the body, often with sensors and connectivity, including smartwatches, fitness trackers, smart glasses, and electronics integrated into clothing or accessories.

The exemption also hinges on safety documentation. The guidance says a product may be exempt if there is evidence in its documentation, when it is placed on the market, that battery replaceability or removability by end users would compromise the safety of the user or the appliance. The source notes that this wording does not mention AirPods specifically, but would reportedly extend to wireless earbuds and even their charging cases.

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What it means for repairability

The change cuts against the broader goal of reducing e-waste. The United Nations has said discarded electronics are increasing five times faster than the world’s ability to recycle them. That has made EU repairability rules especially significant for small devices that often get replaced rather than fixed.

For Apple, the issue is particularly visible because AirPods are the best-selling earbuds in the world. Apple will recycle returned AirPods for free, but the company offers no trade-in value for them. Repair advocates argue that reusing electronics through battery replacement is better than recycling them after failure.

The article points to companies such as Fairphone, which has already shown that more repairable hardware is possible, and B&O, which has promoted its long-running Cradle to Cradle approach, including buying back and refurbishing its own products.

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For now, though, the updated EU wording looks like a setback for anyone hoping the bloc’s battery rules would force a redesign of sealed earbuds like AirPods 4 with ANC.

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