Laptop makers are making it harder to swap batteries: Consumentenbond

DutchNews, November 6, 2015

More laptop makers are making it difficult or impossible for users to replace the battery themselves, the Dutch consumers association Consumentenbond said on Friday. 

Five years ago, it was consumers were able to change batteries in 77% of laptops but this has now shrunk to 42%, the association says in a new report. 

In total, researchers checked out 600 different laptops to find out how easy it is to swap batteries. Apple came bottom of the bunch, scoring just three out of 10. Top was Lenovo with a score of 9.6, followed by Toshiba on 8.6. 

The association says a new battery costs between €40 and €80 but replacement by the manufacturer or a repair company costs up to €200.