AirPods: EU exempts earbuds from mandatory replaceable batteries

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To accommodate a user-replaceable battery, the AirPods would have had to be completely redesigned. The EU Commission has averted precisely this redesign with a newly granted exemption – the earbuds may remain glued and sealed.

The EU Battery Regulation actually requires that batteries in products sold on the EU market be removable and replaceable by users. This requirement is set to take effect in February 2027 to reduce electronic waste. However, on July 14, the European Commission exempted six further product categories from this requirement via a delegated act – including wireless earbuds, which directly affects AirPods. It had already become clear that the iPhone would not be subject to the replaceable battery requirement in 2027 – but the decision regarding AirPods had been pending for some time.

What the EU has decided

The Commission expanded its existing list of exemptions by six categories: in addition to wearables such as smartwatches, fitness trackers, and smart glasses, these include wireless earbuds, electronic toys, and explosion-proof industrial equipment. The general requirement for a replaceable battery remains in place for all other devices. The Commission cites safety risks and technical limitations as justification: opening a compact, sealed casing and not properly resealing it can compromise water resistance or damage the battery; the extensive miniaturization often makes user access impractical. The Apple Watch also falls under this same exemption.

Why the AirPods were the real hard case

For the Apple Watch, a replaceable battery would have been relatively manageable – iFixit gives the models repairability scores of 3 to 4 out of 10. The situation is different with the AirPods: teardowns reveal an internal structure of adhesive bonds and extremely densely packed components, which is what makes the small form factor possible in the first place. A user-replaceable battery would have forced a complete redesign – and would have cost Apple precisely the compact form that defines the earbuds. This exception thus saves Apple from the most complex redesign of its smallest product category.

Exception, not a free pass for sealed batteries

However, a permanently installed battery is not permitted. The exception merely shifts the responsibility: instead of end users, batteries must still be removed and replaced by independent specialist companies. The same logic already applies to devices such as electric toothbrushes. For AirPods owners, this means that battery replacement remains possible – just now in the hands of qualified professionals rather than at home.

Where Apple still needs to restructure

That the regulation is indeed forcing Apple to make changes is demonstrated by another product: Apple is reportedly working on models of the Apple Pencil with a replaceable battery in order to comply with precisely this EU requirement. The wearables exemption is therefore not a blanket retreat by the Commission, but rather a targeted simplification for product categories where user-side access is considered impractical.

What remains open until it comes into effect

The exemption is not yet final. The delegated act will first go to the European Parliament and the Council of the EU; if neither raises an objection within the review period, it will enter into force 20 days after publication in the EU Official Journal. The underlying mandatory replacement battery requirement itself will take effect from February 2027. The rules apply to products on the EU market and thus directly to buyers in Germany and Austria; Switzerland is neither in the EU nor the EEA and is not bound by the EU battery regulations. Consumer advocates and repair initiatives view the exemption as a setback for the right to repair, while the Commission cites safety reasons and a consultation process lasting more than a year. (Image: Shutterstock / Ivan_Shenets)