I found the following at the iRex site (
http://http://www.irextechnologies.com/batteries):
"The one year warranty on iRex' electronic reading devices includes replacement of a defective battery. After the first year you can request a battery replacement from iRex Service for 75 Euro or 84 US$. iRex will make sure your battery is disposed in an environmentally-friendly manner."
I *think* that means folks can pay for an upgrade......
-Jeff