The European Commission is committed to extending phone and tablet battery life and improving the availability of spare parts. In a draft decision, EU regulators plan to require phone manufacturers to supply at least 15 different parts to professional repair shops within 5 years of the device being sold. So, for 5 years, consumers will have to be guaranteed the ability to replace the battery, display, charger, back cover, and even the tray for SIM-cards and memory cards.

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The design of this solution aims to improve the maintainability of smartphones and tablets and reduce their carbon footprint in Europe. It is noted that extending the life cycle of smartphones to 5 years will be approximately equivalent to removing 5 million cars from the roads. The EU argues that forcing manufacturers to produce products that are more durable and easier to repair should reduce e-waste and increase the recycling and reuse of materials needed to make devices.

If the proposals are adopted across Europe later this year, a new energy efficiency label will be introduced on smartphones and tablets. It will act in a similar way to the labeling of televisions and home appliances in Europe. An energy label will indicate the likely battery life of a phone or tablet, as well as information about how the device is protected from water and dust, and even rating the phone’s resistance to accidental drops.

If manufacturers cannot supply batteries to consumers within 5 years, then they will have to undergo a series of battery endurance tests. They must ensure that the batteries retain 80% of their rated capacity after 1000 full charge cycles. Manufacturers will also be forced to ensure that software updates do not adversely affect battery life.

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However, the rules will not apply to smartphones and tablets with flexible main displays, as well as smartphones designed for environments with a high level of security. In any case, these new rules should improve the battery life and maintainability of smartphones, especially budget or low-end devices.

We add that the EU also intends to standardize the charging of mobile devices. All models shipped within the EU will be required to have a universal USB-C charging port .

Source: The Verge