EU repair rules: easier fixes, higher costs

When the EU's Ecodesign requirements for smartphones and tablets came into force in June 2025, they promised a future where fixing a broken device would be a realistic alternative to buying a new one. More than a year later, experts say there has been tangible progress—especially in the availability of spare parts and repair documentation—but significant hurdles remain, from the cost of components to designs that still require heating and prying to open.

The rules, introduced by the European Commission, require manufacturers of smartphones and certain tablets to meet new obligations covering spare parts, repair information, and the fundamental design of their devices. Laptops are not covered by these particular rules, although other EU regulations apply to them.

Spare parts and seven-year window

Much of the EU's focus is on spare parts. Manufacturers must make specified replacement components—including screens and batteries—available for at least seven years after a model stops being available on the EU market. They must also deliver parts within five working days for the first five years, rising to 10 days for the remaining two, while providing repair documentation and access to necessary software tools. Batteries must meet minimum durability standards as well.

For consumers, perhaps the most visible change is an A–E repairability rating on the EU's new energy labels, based on factors such as disassembly difficulty and replacement parts. The EU has also introduced a separate Right to Repair Directive, which member states had to implement by July 2026, adding protections for certain products, although laptops aren't yet covered.

The changes could have implications beyond Europe. "The regulation clearly influenced products sold outside Europe, because few vendors engineer a separate phone for one region," says IDC's Francisco Jeronimo.

Parts availability improves, but repairs stall

In June 2026, the European Consumer Organisation (BEUC) carried out an investigation into the availability of spare parts and repair instructions across Europe, comparing smartphones with battery-powered vacuum cleaners. The group found that access has improved, but it is too early to say whether more consumers are actually repairing their devices.

"The new Ecodesign rules for smartphones have improved consumers’ access to spare parts and repair instructions," says Silvia Barlassina, the group's ecod design project coordinator. "However, as the rules have been in force for only a year and a half, it is too early to assess whether they have led to an increase in consumer repairs."

Getting hold of replacement parts is only half the battle. Thomas Opsomer, an EU policy specialist at repair advocacy group iFixit, is less convinced that the rules have changed how smartphones are actually repaired. "As a result, the regulation did not really change the current mainstream smartphone design, which is one that requires heating to release the screen adhesive in order to get access to the inside of the phone for any type of repair – a procedure that is quite daunting to most users."

A recent iFixit teardown of the iPhone 18 Pro showed that, despite a screwed-in battery tray and modular cameras, accessing the battery still requires removing the glued-down display. In fact, iFixit says it damaged the plastic display frame in three of the four phones it opened, although it cautioned that further testing was needed to establish whether this was a widespread problem.

Compliance gaps in official database

Physical repairs aren't the only problem. In a separate September 2026 investigation, Right to Repair Europe and iFixit examined 2,334 smartphone-model records in the EU's official product database, finding widespread gaps in the availability of repair instructions and spare-part prices.

"We found 80% of models on the market to be non-compliant, which is not the same as 80% of units sold," says Opsomer. "We have seen dramatic improvements in the availability of instructions for self-repair from the leading manufacturers, who were previously quite reluctant to share those."

Many of the shortcomings are instead concentrated among cheaper, lesser-known smartphone brands, Opsomer adds, potentially leaving budget-conscious consumers particularly exposed.

There has also been progress on parts pairing, the software checks that can restrict the use of replacement components. Manufacturers such as Apple must now allow users and independent repairers to restore the functionality of replacement parts, "removing a significant barrier to self-repair and independent repair," says Opsomer.

The €400 question

New smartphones are expensive—and prices are being pushed even higher as demand from AI data centres drives up the cost of components like memory chips, even for giants like Apple. With replacement parts becoming easier to find, you might expect repairing a smartphone to be substantially cheaper than buying a new one. Unfortunately, the reality isn't quite so straightforward.

"For one high end device we examined in our recent market check, the cost of replacing the display exceeds €400," says Barlassina. "When compared to the average original retail price of the device, this represents roughly 30% of the total cost."

Research cited in the European Commission's impact assessment suggests consumers are typically willing to spend around 20% of a product's purchase price on repairs. Damningly, BEUC's €400-plus figure, meanwhile, only covers the replacement component, before labour and other expenses.

The EU's new A–E repairability labels account for factors like disassembly difficulty and the tools required, but crucially not the cost of replacement parts or repair services. This, Barlassina says, "can give an incomplete picture to consumers."

The cost of fixing individual devices illustrates the problem. Samsung's Irish repair pricing page lists a recommended €267 for an out-of-warranty screen repair on the Galaxy S26 Ultra, including a replacement battery, although additional work could increase the charge. Meanwhile, Fairphone's replacement display for the Fairphone 6 costs just €89.95, while a replacement battery costs €39.95. Both are parts-only prices, with Fairphone designing them to be replaced at home.

"The economics of repair are key," says Opsomer. "When their phone breaks, users consciously or unconsciously make a tradeoff between the repair costs and the perceived residual value of their phone, which is lowered by incessant messaging extolling the virtues of the latest and greatest model."

Laptops open up, but not industry-wide

Laptops weren't covered by the EU's June 2025 smartphone Ecodesign rules, but some manufacturers have made substantial improvements anyway. Notably, iFixit gave the Lenovo ThinkPad T14 Gen 7 a provisional 10/10 repairability score, praising its accessible battery, replaceable USB-C ports, keyboard, RAM, and storage. iFixit had also consulted with Lenovo on its design.

Even Apple is leaning into repairability with the MacBook Neo, which got a 6/10 score from iFixit, the highest MacBook score in around 14 years. The Neo uses a screwed-in battery rather than a glued-down one, although its RAM and storage remain soldered.

But are these examples part of an industry-wide shift, or still the exceptions? "We see a shift towards repairability in smartphones and laptops, but not to the extent that I would call it a broader industry shift," says Jeronimo. "There are clear signs of movement, and Apple and Lenovo are two good examples."

There's a commercial argument for repairability, too. Jeronimo points out that consumers paying more for their devices increasingly expect them to last longer, giving manufacturers another reason to make repairs easier. "A repairable device tends to hold its value for longer, which means a higher residual value when the consumer trades it in for a new one," he says.

Consumers keep phones longer, but not for repair

More replacement parts and better repair manuals are all well and good, but are consumers actually making repairability a priority? According to IDC's research, consumers are now keeping smartphones for around 3.5 to 4.5 years on average.

"Consumers are keeping phones longer, but repairability is not what drives it," says Jeronimo. "In a 2025 IDC consumer survey, battery life, connectivity, price and build quality ranked highest among the purchase criteria."

Governments are also looking at ways to make repairs more attractive. Under the EU's Right to Repair Directive, member states must introduce at least one measure encouraging repairs, potentially including financial incentives such as repair vouchers. Member states have until July 2029 to notify the Commission of the measures they've taken, although they can introduce them sooner. "Among these options, financial incentives would be by far the most effective," says Opsomer.

What it means for device owners

For consumers, the picture is mixed. On one hand, spare parts are more widely available, repair instructions are more accessible, and some manufacturers are designing devices that are genuinely easier to fix. On the other hand, the cost of parts remains high—sometimes exceeding 30% of a device's original retail price before labour—and many popular models still require difficult procedures like heating and prying to open. The EU's repairability labels, while helpful, don't account for cost, which can leave buyers with an incomplete picture.

For businesses, the rules may eventually affect procurement and lifecycle costs, especially if repairability becomes a differentiator. But with compliance gaps concentrated among cheaper brands and enforcement still evolving, the impact will vary. The ultimate test will be whether repair becomes a realistic choice for the average consumer, not just enthusiasts. As the experts suggest, financial incentives and continued design improvements could tip the balance, but for now, the journey toward a repair-friendly ecosystem is still underway.