Yesterday, the European Commission officially added new exemptions to its Batteries Regulation. With these exemptions, this means that both the Apple Watch and the AirPods may continue to feature non-removable batteries.
The iPhone has already been exempt from the EU’s regulations, and this is another win for Apple too, for a huge reason.
If we take a look at the Apple Watch, Apple’s smartwatch has always been designed to be both splash- and water-resistant. Both the Series 0 and Series 1 models feature an IPX7 water-resistance rating. Apple Watch Series 2 and later, including the SE models, have an improved water resistance rating of up to 50 meters. Apple Watch Ultra models even have a greater water resistance rating of up to 100 meters. Even better, all Apple Watch models since the Series 7 are dust-resistant too. Since the Apple Watch is made for both outdoor and underwater activities, it would need special sealing to maintain its water and dust resistance. If Apple had to make the batteries removable on Apple Watch models, the sealing may not be as effective, as a compartment for a removable battery would also take up valuable space, and Apple wants to maximize space in such a tiny product. The same could be said with the AirPods and the AirPods Pro, as both are sweat-resistant as well, and they’re even smaller to fit inside users’ ears.
With that said, I’m all for the EU making these kinds of exemptions to allow both the Apple Watch and AirPods models to maintain the resistance ratings they’re well known for.
