Next Apple Pencil Pro may get a replaceable battery — thanks to EU law
Apple is preparing two new Apple Pencil models for a first-half 2027 launch alongside a refreshed iPad Pro, and at least one of them may arrive with a user-replaceable battery — not because Apple wants to, but because EU law will require it. The regulation affects every portable electronic device sold in Europe, and Apple has no exemption for its stylus lineup.
The regulation
Article 11 of the EU Batteries Regulation (2023/1542) takes effect on February 18, 2027. From that date, any portable electronics sold in the European Union must have a battery that can be removed and replaced using common, commercially available tools — no proprietary kits, no solvents, no heat guns. Apple Pencil, in any current form, doesn't come close to meeting that standard. iFixit has rated every Apple Pencil generation a repairability failure, citing the heavy adhesive used to seal the devices shut.
The redesign
Bloomberg Mark Gurman reports that Apple is developing two new stylus models internally codenamed B582 and B632. The B582 is a straightforward update to the standard Apple Pencil with USB-C charging. The B632 — successor to the Apple Pencil Pro — is the one flagged for a battery system redesign to meet EU requirements. No new input features are expected; the changes are structural. Whether the redesigned version ships globally or stays EU-specific hasn't been confirmed.
This isn't Apple's first forced design pivot in Europe. The company switched from Lightning to USB-C across the iPhone 15 lineup after EU rules on common chargers came into force. The pattern is familiar: regulation drives a change Apple resisted, and the rest of the world often benefits.
Not just Apple
Nintendo is already ahead on compliance. A revised Switch 2 with a user-replaceable battery is confirmed for European launch in autumn 2026. The trade-offs are modest — the console gains 14g in weight and loses about 1% of battery capacity (5,220mAh down to 5,172mAh). The original Switch, Switch Lite, and Switch OLED won't be updated and will be phased out of European retail by mid-February 2027.
Apple Pencil's slim form factor makes the engineering challenge harder than a games console, but the deadline is the same. The B632 is expected to be on shelves before that date arrives. If Apple can pull it off without wrecking the pencil's form factor, the EU may have quietly done Apple Pencil owners everywhere a favor.
