More sustainable smartphones: new EU labels for energy efficiency and repairability are coming

Starting next June 20, all new smartphone and tablet models sold within the European Union, including those from non-EU manufacturers (such as Samsung and Apple, to name just two examples), will have to display a new information label. The measure, defined in EU regulation 2023/1669, is part of a broader strategy to make consumer electronics more transparent (in terms of communication to users) and more environmentally sustainable. The new labels will have to be presented in electronic and paper format and clearly visible on physical packaging and in online stores, and will contain very detailed information on the energy efficiency of the devices, battery life, the degree of resistance and protection against dust, water splashes and accidental drops and an assessment of the “repairability” of the device (highlighted with a scale from 0 to 10), and therefore the level of ease with which it can be repaired if it were to be damaged. Energy performance will be expressed through a classification system from A to G, similar to the one currently in use for household appliances, and particular attention will be paid to batteries: the label will in fact include the number of complete charging cycles before the battery drops below 80% of its original capacity (the minimum required value is 800 cycles), the time needed for a complete charge expressed in minutes and the residual capacity of the battery after 500 cycles, the latter data that will provide a more concrete indication of the real durability of the device over time.

However, the decision by the Brussels Commission is not an isolated intervention, albeit one of great substance, but rather a further step in a regulatory path that is based on the Ecodesign Directive (active since 2009 and expanded in 2017), which has already imposed efficiency standards for numerous product categories and in the simplification made in 2021 to the energy labelling system, with the elimination of the “plus” classes (such as A+++) in favour of a clearer evaluation scale. The new labels are part of the framework of European policies for the green transition and the circular economy and the Commission's objective is in this sense to provide consumers with a series of objective and tangible tools to evaluate electronic devices, rewarding the most durable, repairable and resistant products during the purchase phase. Greater transparency on these aspects, this is the aim of the initiative in short, can reduce the amount of electronic waste destined for disposal (where only a small part of the devices is recycled correctly) and the indirect emissions associated with this process and extend the life cycle of products, currently marked by commercial policies that encourage replacement every 2-3 years, even when the device would be technically repairable or still usable.

The EU plan comes at a time when the consumer technology market is experiencing a lively recovery after a sharp decline in recent years, starting in 2020 and ending in 2023, when around 130 million smartphones were sold in Europe. Last year, overall growth in volume (according to Canalys data) was 5% year-on-year, driven mainly by strong demand for high-end products, with over 41 million devices purchased by consumers with a list price of €800 or more, mainly Apple and Samsung brands. As for 2025, industry analysts agree that a particularly important factor in the economy of this market will be the obligation to comply with European regulations on eco-design (EU regulation 2024/1781 and 2023/1670), which shifts the center of gravity of environmental responsibility directly onto manufacturers, who are required to ensure the maintenance, updating and correct disposal of their devices in accordance with very specific time and quality standards. The recovery in sales, as several industry insiders observe, must in fact deal with the rapid obsolescence of devices, which, combined with the growing difficulty of repairing them, contributes to a significant environmental impact. And it is precisely in this area that the new EU regulation comes into play, establishing a series of minimum requirements in terms of design: smartphone and tablet manufacturers, specifically, will have to make spare parts considered critical and essential available within a maximum of 10 working days and up to seven years after the product leaves the market. This is, in fact, a first attempt to make operational the so-called "right to repair" loudly requested by consumer associations and environmental groups, that is, the possibility granted to the user to independently replace defective components and parts of electronic devices in a simple and economical way, without necessarily having to turn to the assistance services offered by the manufacturers themselves.

The new rules will apply to all cell phones and tablets with screens up to 17.4 inches, including cordless devices and feature phones, while devices with rollable displays, which are not yet widespread on the market, will be exempt (at least for now). Tablets with Windows operating systems will be regulated separately, within the framework of the rules for computers, while devices already on the market before the measure comes into force will be excluded from the measure.