EU Repair Rules One Year On: Phones Get a Score, Laptops Wait

What the EU rules actually require

The rules are narrower than the headlines suggested. They do not force a modular phone, but they do force manufacturers to keep parts and information available for years.

When the EU's Ecodesign requirements for smartphones and certain tablets came into force in June 2025, they stopped short of demanding a Fairphone-style modular design. Instead, they focused on spare parts: screens, batteries and other specified components must be available for at least seven years after a model leaves the EU market.

Manufacturers also have to deliver those parts within five working days for the first five years, rising to 10 days for the remaining two. Repair documentation and access to necessary software tools are part of the deal, and batteries must meet minimum durability standards.

For shoppers, the most visible change is the A-E repairability rating on the EU's new energy label. It is based on how hard a device is to take apart and how easy it is to get replacement parts. That label is now a fixture on new phones in European stores, and it gives buyers a way to compare devices beyond specs.

Are phones actually easier to repair?

Yes, but incrementally. The biggest shift is that parts are more available and repair information is more open, not that phones have suddenly become screwdriver-friendly.

TechRadar spoke to three experts for its one-year assessment, and the consensus is that repairability is improving, but there is still plenty to fix. The rules have pushed manufacturers to publish repair guides and make parts available, which matters for independent repair shops and for people who hold onto phones for four or five years.

The catch is cost. A replacement screen or battery can still be expensive enough that a repair does not make financial sense compared with a new device, especially on mid-range phones. The EU rules do not cap parts prices, so the label tells you how repairable a phone is, not how affordable the repair will be.

There is also the question of design. Apple does not have to make the iPhone a 10/10 on iFixit's scale, and it hasn't. The rules set a floor, not a ceiling. Some manufacturers have gone further than others, and the A-E label is designed to make that difference visible to shoppers.

Why laptops are still waiting

Laptops are not covered by the smartphone Ecodesign rules. Other EU regulations apply, but the specific spare-parts and labelling requirements do not yet extend to them.

The Ecodesign requirements that took effect in June 2025 cover smartphones and certain tablets, not laptops. That is a significant gap, because laptops are expensive, heavily used and often repaired. The EU has separate rules in the works, but they are not in force yet.

The Right to Repair Directive, which member states had to implement by July 2026, adds protections for certain products, but laptops are not yet included. That means the repairability picture for laptops is still shaped by voluntary design choices and by other EU regulations, not by a dedicated score or a seven-year parts guarantee.

Experts told TechRadar that the smartphone rules have already influenced products sold outside Europe, because few vendors engineer different designs for different regions. That spillover effect is real, but it is uneven. A phone designed for the EU market is likely to be more repairable everywhere; a laptop has no such pressure yet.

What to watch in the next year

The next twelve months will show whether the A-E label changes buying habits and whether the EU extends its repairability push to laptops.

The repairability score is only useful if people understand it. Retailers and manufacturers have started to feature it, but there is no evidence yet that shoppers are choosing a B over a D. If the label becomes as familiar as the energy rating on a fridge, it could push manufacturers to compete on repairability.

The bigger test is laptops. If the EU extends similar requirements to portable computers, the design changes could be more dramatic, because laptops are already more modular than phones. For now, the honest answer to whether our devices are easier to repair is: phones are, a bit; laptops are not yet.

What it means for you

If you are shopping for a phone in the EU, the A-E repairability label is now on the box or the spec sheet. It is worth checking before you buy, especially if you plan to keep the device for more than two years. In the US and UK, the label is not required, but some manufacturers are starting to publish similar information voluntarily.

For laptops, the picture is unchanged. There is no EU repairability score yet, so your best guide is still teardown sites and the manufacturer's spare-parts policy. The rules have made phones easier to fix in Europe, but they have not yet reached the device many people rely on most.

One year in, the EU's repairability rules have made a difference, but it is a modest one. Phones are easier to fix than they were, and the label gives buyers a new way to compare. Laptops, the devices many of us use for work every day, are still outside the regime. The next year will show whether the EU closes that gap.