The EU will require smartphones and tablets to be labeled for durability, battery life, and repairability, and will require a minimum five-year warranty on OS upgrades

The European Union (EU) has announced that it will impose ' ecodesign requirements ' and ' energy labeling requirements ' on smartphones and tablets sold within the EU. This will require manufacturers to display the labels required by the EU.

Smartphones and Tablets - European Commission

Ecodesign requirements require certain performance from the terminal itself. Specifically, they include resistance to accidental drops and scratches, protection from dust and water, batteries that can withstand at least 800 charge/discharge cycles while maintaining at least 80% of their initial capacity, the obligation for producers to arrange for critical spare parts within 5 to 10 business days, a seven-year terminal warranty and a five-year OS upgrade warranty from the end of the product's market launch date. In addition, in consideration of the 'right to repair,' professional repairers are required to have non-discriminatory access to software and firmware required for repairing and replacing terminals.

This applies to smartphones and tablets, as well as feature phones and cordless phones (landlines).

The energy label requirement, on the other hand, requires that devices be labeled with information about their energy efficiency, battery life, dust and water resistance, drop resistance, and repairability. It only applies to smartphones and tablets.

The required labels are as follows: Each number indicates the following requirements:
・1: Energy efficiency range
・2: Energy efficiency of this product
・3: Battery life when the battery is fully charged
・4: Drop resistance score
Battery durability score: 5
Repairability score: 6
・7: IP protection rating indicating dustproof and waterproof resistance

The EU emphasized the importance of the regulations, stating, 'Smartphones and tablets produced in accordance with these rules will save approximately 14 TWh of energy per year by 2030, equivalent to one-third of current energy consumption, and will also help ensure that important raw materials are properly recycled.' In addition, the EU also emphasized that the regulations will enable consumers to make the right product choices, and that easier repairs will extend the product's lifespan and significantly reduce consumer spending.

The ecodesign and energy labelling requirements will come into effect from 20 June 2025. In addition, the regulations are due to be reviewed by the European Commission by September 2027 to take into account technological advances.