EU Energy Label

Introduction

Since June 20, 2025, a specific EU energy label exists for smartphones and tablets, which gives consumers an overview of the energy efficiency, durability and repairability of these devices. The aim is to promote sustainable consumption and increase transparency with regard to energy consumption and environmental aspects.

Categories

The EU energy label for smartphones and tablets contains information on the following categories

1. QR code that leads to detailed information
2. Brand
3. Model
4. Energy efficiency class scale from A to G
5. Energy efficiency class of the device
6. Runtime with fully charged battery
7. Reliability class after repeated free fall
8. Repairability class
9. Battery charging cycles until battery still has 80 % capacity
10. Ingress Protection (IP)
11. Number of EU-Regulation

Notes

Good repairability doesn't necessarily mean, consumers can repair all damage to their devices on their own. However, professionals can usually repair such devices fast and inexpensively. In the repairability index, all products are always evaluated according to the same criteria in order to ensure comparability. For smartphones, these are

• The depth of disassembly is the number of steps required to remove a specific priority part from the device without damaging the device.
  
  
• The type of fasteners in and on the device, e.g. adhesives, clamps or screws, is assessed. A distinction is made whether the fasteners are reusable, included or only removable.
  
  
• The necessary tools are assessed. The highest score is awarded if no tools are required at all. Lower ratings are awarded if special tools are required.
  
  
• The availability of spare parts assesses which spare parts are made available to consumers by the manufacturer and which are only available to expert repairers.
  
  
• Software updates assesses how long updates are provided for the operating system. The longer, the better the rating.
  
  
• The availability and possible costs for the provision of repair information is assessed.
  
  

The individual part ratings are made for the entire device or for so-called priority spare parts. The latter are parts that, based on experience, either fail or break down frequently and those that are of central importance for the function of the device, e.g. the display of a smartphone.

Overview

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