EU repairability rules largely ignored by smartphone makers
Original: Smartphone makers don't bother to comply with EU repairability requirements
Why This Matters
Widespread non-compliance raises questions about EU enforcement capacity for consumer right-to-repair legislation.
One year after EU repairability rules took effect for smartphones and tablets, Right to Repair Europe reports that over 80% of 2,334 device models on the market still lack required repair information, as of September 2026.
Right to Repair Europe has found that more than 80 percent of smartphones listed in the European Product Registry for Energy Labelling fail to comply with EU repairability requirements that came into force in June 2025. The rules mandate that device makers publish repair instructions and spare parts pricing, and display a self-reported repairability score on energy labels.
Of 2,334 smartphone model records reviewed, only about 18 percent include a URL linking to spare parts prices or repair instructions. Approximately half of the records leave the URL field blank, while 19 percent link only to generic product or support pages with no relevant content. Some entries direct customers to Temu or AliExpress. Despite clear non-compliance, several manufacturers still award themselves a top Class A repairability score.
Even technically compliant listings often provide unhelpfully vague pricing, such as a battery replacement listed between €14 and €128. Major brands including Apple and Samsung require users to navigate multiple pages before finding the relevant information. The repairability label is also missing from a significant number of products in both physical stores and online retail.