Further documentation stated “a portable battery shall be considered readily removable by the end-user where it can be removed from a product with the use of commercially available tools, without requiring the use of specialised tools, unless provided free of charge with the product”.
I take specialized tool to mean for example, a screw than you can’t find a driver for at a hardware store. Since all you need to replace the battery are some Phillips heads and a blow dryer or heat gun, it seems fully possible for a consumer to replace the battery using commercially available tools. Difficult sure, but should comply as-is.
IMO the law is intended to reduce consumer electronic waste, making batteries that anyone from kids to grandparents can easily replace themselves. Currently the steam deck battery isn’t all that difficult to replace for the tech savvy “brave” folks who happily open up their devices and see the internals, but for most people that’s not good enough. I would never expect my 68 year old mother to replace it herself. IMO the aim is to make batteries replaceable like the PS5 SSD expansion capacity is. Just need a screwdriver and a few minutes, without every feeling like you might break something. Needing anything more than that and most people won’t do it out of fear they’ll break their device.
I read it differently:
I take specialized tool to mean for example, a screw than you can’t find a driver for at a hardware store. Since all you need to replace the battery are some Phillips heads and a blow dryer or heat gun, it seems fully possible for a consumer to replace the battery using commercially available tools. Difficult sure, but should comply as-is.
IMO the law is intended to reduce consumer electronic waste, making batteries that anyone from kids to grandparents can easily replace themselves. Currently the steam deck battery isn’t all that difficult to replace for the tech savvy “brave” folks who happily open up their devices and see the internals, but for most people that’s not good enough. I would never expect my 68 year old mother to replace it herself. IMO the aim is to make batteries replaceable like the PS5 SSD expansion capacity is. Just need a screwdriver and a few minutes, without every feeling like you might break something. Needing anything more than that and most people won’t do it out of fear they’ll break their device.
But only time will tell what actually happens.