It had been in the works for a while, but now it has formally been adopted. From the article:
The regulation provides that by 2027 portable batteries incorporated into appliances should be removable and replaceable by the end-user, leaving sufficient time for operators to adapt the design of their products to this requirement.
“Oh but the aesthetics of the phone” proceeds to put phone in case and never see the actual device it’s entire lifespan anyway
I owned a case for my iPhone 1.0 and used it for about two days. I kept taking it off to show people the actual phone and then realized, “Why do I have this stupid thing on the phone?”
I have never used a case since then. My phones have been fine because I take care of them. I’ve had a few dings over the years, but I’ve never shattered the display or killed one. I like that my phone is sleek and nice.
This is not a vote against user-serviceable batteries. I can’t predict whether this will make my phone shittier until I see how it plays out.