The European Union (EU) wants smartphones to last longer, and it is bringing a series of rules that will place the onus on smartphone brands, including Samsung, to provide hardware and software support for their devices for a longer period.
The EU's Energy Labelling and Ecodesign Regulation (EPREL) mandates brands to offer longer software support, equip phones with better batteries, make devices more durable and repairable, and provide spare parts for at least seven years after the end of their last sale.
Samsung will be forced to bring better batteries, offer longer software support for phones
Over the past few years, the EU has been forcing consumer technology brands to make improvements to their phones, tablets, laptops, and other gadgets to reduce e-waste and to offer consumers more choice in terms of software, hardware, and repairability. Some of those improvements include the mandatory use of USB Type-C port for charging and data transfer.
Now, the EU's new Energy Labelling and Ecodesign Regulation (EPREL), which comes into effect starting June 20, 2025, requires brands to adhere to the following rules and bring necessary improvements to their future smartphones and tablets:
-
Durability: Resistance to accidental drops and scratches. Resistant to dust and water.
-
Battery longevity: Sufficiently durable batteries that can retain 80% of their original charge capacity even after 800 charge cycles.
-
Repairability: Improve repairability and offer critical spare parts within 5-10 working days for up to seven years after the end of the phone mode's last official sale date.
-
Repair access: Non-discriminatory access for professional repairers to have the required software and firmware files needed for repair and replacement.
-
Software support: Phones must receive operating system upgrades for at least five years from the date when they were last available for purchase.
Looking at these rules, Samsung has to bring better batteries to Galaxy phones. Those batteries must last at least 800 charge cycles while retaining at least 80% of the original charge capacity. This rule alone will help drastically improve the battery experience for smartphone users, as the battery will retain its health for a longer period.
Starting June 20, all the smartphones and tablets (except for devices with flexible or rollable screens) are required to display the EPREL label, which displays seven things that are listed below:
- Energy Efficiency Grade (A to G)
- Energy Efficiency Class
- Battery Endurance Per Cycle
- Repeated Free Fall Reliability Class
- Battery Endurance (In Cycles)
- Repairability Class
- Ingress Protection (IP) Rating
To make sure that brands ship correct EPREL labels with their devices, the EU Commission will verify information related to the device's battery performance, IP rating, and repairability. Here is how the EPREL label looks:
The post Samsung phones sold in EU will ship with EPREL rating starting June 20 appeared first on SamMobile.
Loading ... 
