Indeed, it looks as though Apple may not have to worry at all: as noted on Reddit, batteries that can maintain an 80% capacity level after 1,000 cycles aren’t covered by the new rulings. Apple meets that standard, as per its official support documents, on models starting from the iPhone 15 that launched in 2023.
and even with that, recent iphones are way easier to repair than a few years ago. I would not say anyone can do it, but it’s definitely easier than before when you basically had to disassemble the whole thing
I have a Samsung with over 1100 charges and a capacity of 88%. Well beyond needing its battery to be replaceable.
All flagships probably meet this standard.
(The biggest exception is probably super-slim phones, but they would lose that one feature if they got made compliant.)
and even with that, recent iphones are way easier to repair than a few years ago. I would not say anyone can do it, but it’s definitely easier than before when you basically had to disassemble the whole thing
So most people who want to reclaim 100% capacity after 2-3 years of use won’t be able to do it themselves. How disappointing.