Smartphones and tablets will follow environmentally ambitious EU ecodesign requirements by June 2025

New EU regulations will decrease the environmental impact of smartphones and tablets and empower independent repairers and consumers, who will be able to access spare parts and information to repair smartphones and tablets for at least seven years after the product stops being distributed. Manufacturers will also have to make compatible software updates available for at least five years, ensuring the safety of our devices for a longer period.

Smartphones will also be more durable. Under the new rules, they must be able to endure at least 45 accidental drops without functional impairment, as well as maintain at least 80% of their battery capacity after undergoing 800 charging cycles (which would take around four years on average). Tablets will follow the same rules, but only concerning their battery capacity.

In a first at EU level, consumers will also benefit from better access to information about the overall repairability of smartphones thanks to a repair index that will be displayed on their energy labels. Electronic displays and washing machines are being considered by the European Commission for similar rules.