External battery banks are a far superior solution now that almost everything has standardized on USB and we have power banks supporting high speed charging.

They can be charged with the same power adapter you use to charge your phone, without the need of an extra docking thing.

They can be used to charge any USB-chargeable device.

They are not tied to your specific model, and thus you're not vendor locked with them, making them cheaper and easier to find anywhere in the world.

They come in multiple capacities, allowing you to plan in advance your energy needs and choose the right size bank for your situation.

They are far more sturdier than any modern battery, which makes them more resistant to puncture and bending.

They don't have external contacts that could potentially short in contact with conductive surfaces.

> This is not just about battery replacement. I used to keep several fully charged batteries stocked in my rucksack whenever I went hiking or anywhere else that was remote.

There are several high end phones with removable batteries. You should buy one of them if this feature is important to you.

This movement to force everyone's phones to pay the costs of removable batteries to address these really niche use cases is not great.

Replaceable batteries are one thing, but truly hot swappable batteries like you're asking for will absolutely effect the waterproofing and add a lot of weight/size. Is there a reason you can't just bring a battery pack in your rucksack? They make magnetic ones you can slap on the back and be on your way.

You can keep several power bricks that will charge any USB-C device now.

The battery doesn't cease functioning after 3-4 years. The benchmark says it should have 80% capacity.

It's also not really that expensive to have phone batteries replaced. Apple will do it for $120 including the battery for their flagship models that cost over $1000. Cheaper for lower end models.

I can't take any arguments seriously that claim these phones are becoming e-waste after 2.75 years. Battery replacement is a common process.

Importantly “last” means that it will have at least 80% battery capacity left.

Then the law should just make sure that there's a second source at least for the batteries, that technicians have free access to disassembly instructions, and that it can be done without undue effort or risk.

Requiring common tools or technical skills for replacing something that last 4 years is not a hassle to justify enshitiffying phones design as long as you're not vendor locked for such replacement, and a technician can do it in a reasonable amount of time, with reasonable tool and without the risk of degrading the functionality of the device doing so.

At least it's a performance standard. If the Government is going to regulate consumer products I would rather it be performance standards than implementation details. If a device doesn't meet performance standards it can trigger warranty requirements.

> Lots and lots of gadgets with removable batteries and waterproof design as evidence.

And this is a BS rebuttal. None of them achieve the same miniaturization and water tightness as iPhone.

This law is basically government being co-opted by a tiny vocal minority to force their unpopular opinions onto the rest of the public.

If any modest percentage of the market cared about replaceable batteries above all else in their phones, the market would already be packed with removable battery phone options.

> Isn't it unfortunate that a perfectly good phone gets turned to e-waste years before it has to

This does not happen. There is a thriving market for used phones, many of which have had the battery replaced.