Transparent specs at last: Why the new smartphone energy labels are a big deal
TL;DR The European Union has introduced mandatory energy efficiency labels for all smartphones and tablets sold within its region starting today, June 20, 2025.
These labels provide detailed information on energy use, battery longevity, drop resistance, IP rating for dust and water resistance, and repairability scores.
Complementing this rollout are ecodesign requirements mandating durable batteries, extended software support, readily available spare parts, and more.
It's not easy to discern how efficient, durable, or repairable a smartphone or tablet is, just from its spec sheet or marketing materials. Manufacturers are all too happy to hide the information that shows their product in a bad light, and we can only hope for regulations to come along to bring some much-needed transparency. The European Union is leading the way, thanks to its new energy label and ecodesign requirements that go into force today in the region, forcing smartphone makers to change for the better.
EU energy labels: What does the label mean?
Starting today, June 20, 2025, smartphones and tablets sold in the EU must feature a new energy efficiency label that displays information on their energy efficiency, battery longevity, protection from dust and water, and against accidental drops. It doesn't end here, as phones and tablets must also showcase a repairability score.
In the energy level above, graphic number 1 points to the scale of energy efficiency classes ranging from A (best) to G (worst), but icon number 2 showcases where the product is actually placed (C, in this reference example).
Icon 3 denotes the battery endurance per cycle, in hours and minutes per full battery charge, indicating how many hours of use you can expect from a full charge on a new device. This number is determined based on a standardized test of usage, so hopefully, manufacturers can't just make this up. The EU's website isn't very clear on how icon 3 differs from icon 5, though, as the text explanation for number 5 applies better to number 3 (and even has the same icon).
Further, icon 4 indicates the device's repeated free-fall reliability class. Think of it as the smartphone or tablet's impact resistance, determined based on the number of falls in a standardized test that the device can withstand without functionality problems. A is the most robust, and E is the least robust.
Icon 6 denotes the smartphone or tablet's repairability class, where A is the most repairable and E is the least. Finally, icon 7 represents the device's IP rating for dust and water resistance.
These energy labels will help EU consumers make more informed purchase decisions. They will also push companies to be more transparent about their products, hopefully prompting the entire ecosystem to move towards more sustainable choices.
How do current phones compare in the EU energy label?
Here are the energy labels for the Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max, Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, Google Pixel 9 Pro XL, and the OnePlus 13, for reference:
Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max
Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra
Google Pixel 9 Pro XL
OnePlus 13
Comparing the labels, we can see that the OnePlus 13 scores high on energy efficiency and battery life, decently for repairability, but poorly on impact resistance. On the other hand, the Galaxy S25 Ultra is the worst amongst these four for battery life, and it has just okay repairability but excellent impact resistance. Knowing this information beforehand will most definitely impact purchase decisions.
Curiously, this energy label also helps us figure out the rated battery capacity of the iPhones, which are as follows for the current lineup: iPhone 15: 3,349mAh
iPhone 15 Plus: 4,383mAh
iPhone 16: 3,349mAh
iPhone 16 Plus: 4,674mAh
iPhone 16 Pro: 3,582mAh
iPhone 16 Pro Max: 4,685mAh
iPhone 16e: 4,005mAh
EU's ecodesign requirements also go into effect today
Alongside the energy labels, the EU's ecodesign requirements will also apply to smartphones, feature phones, cordless phones, and slate tablets (which include the usual Android tablets). However, they won't apply to tablet computers (tablets that run Windows, for example), products with flexible/roll-up main displays, and high-security communication smartphones.
The ecodesign requirements include: Resistance to accidental drops or scratches and protection from dust and water.
Sufficiently durable batteries which can withstand at least 800 charge and discharge cycles while retaining at least 80% of their initial capacity.
Rules on disassembly and repair, including obligations for producers to make critical spare parts available within 5-10 working days, and for 7 years after the end of sales of the product model on the EU market.
Availability of operating system upgrades for longer periods (at least 5 years from the date of the end of placement on the market of the last unit of a product model).
Non-discriminatory access for professional repairers to any software or firmware needed for the replacement.
These ecodesign requirements should usher in a new era of phones and tablets that are built to last. Coupled with the energy labels, we hope to see more and better smartphones in the market that don't force planned obsolescence upon us.
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