The European Commission wants to oblige smartphone manufacturers to use longer-lasting batteries
The European Commission aims to extend the life of phone and tablet batteries and improve the availability of spare parts. In the draft of the relevant decisions, EU regulatory bodies plan to oblige phone manufacturers to supply at least 15 different parts to professional repair shops within 5 years after the start of sales of the devices. Yes, within 5 years, consumers will have to be guaranteed to be able to replace the battery, display, charger, back cover and even the tray for SIM cards and memory cards.
The project of this solution is designed to increase 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 roughly equivalent to removing 5 million cars from the roads. The EU claims that forcing manufacturers to produce stronger and easier-to-repair products should reduce the amount of e-waste and increase the level of recycling and reuse of materials needed to manufacture devices.
If the proposals are adopted across Europe later this year, new energy efficiency labeling will be introduced on smartphones and tablets. It will act similarly to the labeling of televisions and household appliances in Europe. Energy labeling will indicate the possible battery life of the phone or tablet, as well as include information about the device’s protection against water and dust, and even evaluate the phone’s resistance to accidental drops.
If manufacturers are unable to supply batteries to consumers for 5 years, then they must pass a series of battery durability tests. They must ensure that batteries retain 80% of their rated capacity after 1,000 full charge cycles. Manufacturers will also be forced to ensure that software updates do not have a negative impact on battery life.
At the same time, the rules will not apply to smartphones and tablets with flexible main displays, as well as smartphones designed for high-security environments. In any case, these new rules should improve the battery life and maintainability of smartphones, especially budget or low-cost devices.
In addition, the EU also intends to standardize the charging of mobile devices. All models shipped in the EU must have a universal USB-C charging port.
