Nintendo announces new product revisions in Europe with replaceable batteries

Re:Nintendo announces new product revisions in Europe with r... by parineum on Monday July 06, 2026 @11:22AM (#48805951)

A more complicated design costs more money to build/test and introduces more modes of failure in the final product.

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Re:Nintendo announces new product revisions in Europe with r... by vrganj on Monday July 06, 2026 @11:30AM (#48806086)

I'm not too worried. Removable batteries were standard fare for decades before Apple came around and set negative precedent. I don't recall it ever causing issues.

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Re:Nintendo announces new product revisions in Europe with r... by artisinal on Monday July 06, 2026 @12:14PM (#48806705)

I’m happy that my gadgets no longer need expensive AA batteries.

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Re:Nintendo announces new product revisions in Europe with r... by ahartmetz on Monday July 06, 2026 @12:28PM (#48806907)

...or NiMH AA rechargeable batteries if you could be arsed.

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Re:Nintendo announces new product revisions in Europe with r... by mopsi on Tuesday July 07, 2026 @03:11AM (#48814581)

Rechargeable batteries have become very good and very cheap. IKEA sells 4xAA batteries for 8€, made in Japan, last 500-1000 cycles. Many "non-user-serviceable" devices actually have them inside; they're just not accessible without breaking the plastic clips that hold everything together: https://www.pololu.com/category/54/batteries

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Re:Nintendo announces new product revisions in Europe with r... by dylan604 on Monday July 06, 2026 @11:44AM (#48806290)

It's amazing how quickly we forget

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Re:Nintendo announces new product revisions in Europe with r... by reaperducer on Monday July 06, 2026 @12:01PM (#48806537)

Removable batteries were standard fare for decades before Apple came around and set negative precedent.

You must be newly hatched.

I have plenty of devices in my gadget box with non-replaceable batteries that pre-date Apple's iPhones, and even its iPods.

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Re:Nintendo announces new product revisions in Europe with r... by vrganj on Monday July 06, 2026 @12:03PM (#48806556)

Sure. But I bet you also have plenty of gadgets with replaceable batteries.

Just because something is standard fare doesn't mean it's the only option. Point is, it was quite common in the past.

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Re:Nintendo announces new product revisions in Europe with r... by tzs on Monday July 06, 2026 @04:07PM (#48809796)

Part of the reason it was so common in the past was because rechargeable battery technology for small consumers devices was a lot more limited. NiCd was the main choice and they required careful management to keep them working well.

Also there were no real standards for chargers. Nearly every small consumer device that used NiCd batteries came with its own bespoke chargers.

Hence most small consumer devices went with replaceable batteries because they expected nearly everyone to use non-rechargeable batteries.

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Re:Nintendo announces new product revisions in Europe with r... by ahartmetz on Monday July 06, 2026 @12:25PM (#48806863)

The current hack is to buy devices made for disposable batteries and then use rechargeables. Electric toothbrushes almost all come with built-in non-removable batteries... except the cheapest ones, which also work fine.

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Re:Nintendo announces new product revisions in Europe with r... by AshamedCaptain on Monday July 06, 2026 @02:21PM (#48808461)

You are generalizing. The design may very well be simpler, just more expensive.

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Re:Nintendo announces new product revisions in Europe with r... by DANmode on Tuesday July 07, 2026 @01:56AM (#48814119)

The Pinto fix was 11 cents per unit or so.

Get real.

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