EU Draft Proposals Require Phone Makers to Provide Spare Parts for 5 Years and Ensure Longer Battery

guest · Sep 3, 2022

The new proposals also cover software
by Tim Hardwick @waxeditorial - September 1, 2022

Smartphone manufacturers supplying the EU will be required to provide spare parts for at least five years from the date of a device's introduction and ensure longer battery life, according to new draft proposals published by the European Commission.

The Financial Times reports that the proposals would require at least 15 different component parts to be made available and that batteries should survive at least 500 full charges without deteriorating to below 83 percent of their capacity.
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Phones sold in the EU would also have to display an energy efficiency label, similar to those used for washing machines and dishwashers, showing expected battery life and other characteristics such as the device's drop resistance.

The draft regulations cover tablets and mobile phones, and are based on the claim that by making hardware more repairable and recyclable, the energy consumption involved in a device's production and use would be cut by a third.
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The new proposals also cover software, and require manufacturers to provide security updates for five years after devices leave the market and functionality updates for three years. Apple has typically offered software support to iPhones for almost a decade after they are released, but owners of Android phones typically receive only a few years of software updates, so the regulations are likely to greatly impact Google.
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guest · Sep 3, 2022

Smartphone repair law proposed by EU; opposed by Apple-backed trade group
By Ben Lovejoy @benlovejoy - September 1, 2022

A proposed new EU smartphone repair law has been opposed by a trade association representing Apple, Samsung, and other smartphone makers. The law is intended to reduce electrical waste as part of an environmental protection program.

The law would require companies to ensure that they continue to make at least 15 key spare parts available for five years from the launch of a phone. It would also necessitate a minor improvement to Apple’s requirements for free battery replacement…
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Opposed by Apple-backed trade group
Tech trade association Digital Europe opposes the plans. Its members include Apple, Google, Huawei, LG, Oppo, Samsung, Xiaomi, and other smartphone makers.
The group claims that, far from reducing waste, the requirement to produce the spare parts would actually create it.

Smartphone makers argue that requiring more parts to be available simply increases the consumption of plastic.

Digital Europe, which represents the tech industry, said: “A potential overproduction, subsequent warehousing and destruction of spare parts will naturally result in wasted resources, reduced material efficiency and negative economic value ultimately resulting in higher costs for the consumer.”
Analysts have also expressed concerns that smaller companies would struggle to meet the costs of the new requirements, which could make smartphones less affordable. It could also make it less economic to produce ultra-low-cost models.
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