The EU has officially adopted new rules requiring manufacturers to use replaceable batteries in smartphones.

While sealed smartphones are the norm today, it wasn’t that many years ago when virtually all smartphones had a panel on the back that could be easily opened. Most phones had easily replaceable batteries and often had a slot for an extra memory card. Manufacturers have since moved to sealed handsets and non-replaceable batteries in an effort to produce sleeker designs.

The EU wants to wind back the clock to those more user-friendly designs. The EU initially passed the rules in June, but this latest vote moves the bill forward. Following a “final vote in plenary, the Council will now have to formally endorse the text before its publication in the EU Official Journal shortly after and its entry into force.”

This isn’t the first time the EU has passed rules designed to ease pain points for smartphone users. The bloc passed rules in October 2022 that would force smartphone makers to use USB-C. This was largely aimed at Apple, which used its proprietary Lightning port.

Interestingly, Apple ended up changing the iPhone’s design worldwide to comply with the EU since it’s simply not feasible to maintain multiple designs based on jurisdiction. As a result, it’s highly likely that smartphone makers will adopt the EU’s battery rules worldwide, benefiting customers outside the EU as well as those inside.