These Smart Glasses Prove Replaceable Batteries Are Possible

From the creator

Wearables have a battery problem. Wireless earbuds, smartwatches, smart rings, and smart glasses are often built around glued-in lithium batteries that inevitably wear out—turning otherwise functional devices into e-waste. Although new EU battery rules are expected to require user-replaceable batteries across many product categories beginning in 2027, wearables have received a major exemption. Manufacturers argue that replaceable batteries simply aren’t practical in devices this small. In this double teardown, we examine the Quark AI Glasses S1 and a competing pair of Chinese AR glasses to test that claim. Both use external battery packs, but their internal construction reveals two very different approaches to repairability. One is difficult and destructive to service. The other comes closer to a genuinely replaceable, technician-friendly design than almost any smart glasses we’ve opened. We also examine their Snapdragon-powered hardware, micro-OLED projection systems, cameras, circuit boards, and battery architecture. Repairable wearables may not be easy to build—but that doesn’t make them impossible. Learn more about the campaign for repairable products in Europe: https://repair.eu/ Chapters 00:00 Wearables have a battery problem 00:43 Why batteries must be replaceable 01:37 The EU’s wearable exemption 02:15 Can smart glasses be repairable? 03:02 Comparing the two battery designs 03:25 Quark AI Glasses S1 teardown 04:39 Quark chips and displays 06:14 Inside the Quark exter

Published 2026-08-07 · Watch on YouTube ↗
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