On June 20, 2025, the European smartphone market will reach a new milestone, as the European Commission will formally implement two regulations that will overturn the entire industry. These two regulations will establish new energy labels and eco-design standards. According to CNMO, these two regulations include the introduction of energy efficiency labels and eco-design directives.
Regulation 1: Introducing energy efficiency labels on smartphones
Canalys pointed out that starting next year, every smartphone will be labeled with an energy efficiency label for the first time. The content of the energy efficiency label includes five dimensions: energy efficiency level, drop resistance classification, repairability index classification, battery life and IP protection level (dust and water resistance level). In response to this, mobile phone manufacturers are actively seeking cooperation with professional organizations and outsourcing the tracking of relevant information to expert teams.
Rule 2: Eco-design for repairability, durability and recyclability
Canalys believes that the Eco-design Directive has a greater impact on manufacturers because its requirements will affect device design, inventory planning and software support. The directive mainly covers:
Repair and Reuse : Manufacturers must provide spare parts and repair information for designated parts for at least seven years after shipment ends. Some spare parts may only be available to professional repair personnel, while other spare parts must also be available to consumers.
Durability : The equipment must have the following characteristics:
It can withstand 45 drops from a height of one meter without any damage to its functions;
Achieves scratch resistance level 4 on the Mohs hardness scale;
Can effectively prevent water and dust;
After being able to withstand 800 charge and discharge cycles, the battery capacity can still be maintained at least 80%;
From the moment the product is launched on the market, we promise to provide operating system and security updates for up to five years.
Recyclable : Disassembly information support (procedures, tools and techniques) must be provided for up to 15 years.
Transparency : Manufacturers must publicly provide information online on rare mineral use, indicative recyclability scores, percentage of recycled content in products, IP ratings, and battery life; customers must be able to access battery diagnostic information and get recommendations on how to optimize battery life.
Since the draft regulations for 2022 were first released, smartphone manufacturers and their suppliers have been adjusting their products and roadmaps. Canalys believes that under the new regulations, mobile phone manufacturers face a dual challenge: on the one hand, the autonomy of product design is compressed; on the other hand, the complexity of operational management has also increased significantly.
