PERSONAL TECH

Vast majority of new devices on market still don't give repair information to owners, but give themselves top marks for repairability 

One year into the EU's repairability rules for smartphones and tablets, more than 80 percent of devices still lack the necessary repair information, Right to Repair Europe reports.

The campaign group says that mobile devices available in the trading bloc must include a mandatory self-reported repairability score, and the device maker has an obligation to publish information to help users repair their kit. These requirements came into force from June 2025.

Yet a review of the European Product Registry for Energy Labelling, where manufacturers are required to list where they publish the required information, found that few have so far fallen in line.

Right to Repair says that of 2,334 records for smartphone models brought to market over the last year, only about 18 percent actually list a website where spare parts prices or repair instructions can be found.

About half of the records simply have blanks where there should be a URL, while another 19 percent refer to a product page or support page not containing any relevant repair instructions or spare parts listings.

Some records even refer customers to Temu or AliExpress for spare parts and repair instructions.

Despite this, some of the blatantly non-compliant manufacturers still award themselves top marks for their repair information, resulting in a self-declared class A for repairability.

The campaign group also complains that in many instances where spare parts are listed, they are given a ridiculously wide price bracket, such as between €14 and €128 for a replacement battery.

But even for products that are technically compliant, the listed weblink still rarely offers a direct path to parts prices. For major brands such as Apple and Samsung, it can take some clicking around before you find what you need, Right to Repair says.

The repair score and link to repair information should be provided on the energy efficiency label on products, but - we're told - the latter is missing for a significant number of products offered for sale, both in physical stores and online.

Right to Repair Europe quite understandably questions the effectiveness of the EU’s approach, if so many devices are going on sale without complying with the regulations.

Clearly, no public authority has taken it upon themselves to check the declared data, as thousands of blank fields seem to have gone unnoticed, it says.

It likewise questions the wisdom of allowing manufacturers to mark their own homework on repairability scores, and asks if consumers can really trust them.

We asked the European Commission for its reaction to the European Right to Repair campaign’s findings, and will update this article if it replies with comment.

“The obligation for publicly available spare parts prices and repair manuals is a great step forward, but it needs to be enforced better,” said Thomas Opsomer, iFixit’s EU policy spokesperson, on behalf of the Right to Repair Europe Coalition.

“Since the repairability scores are self-assigned, manufacturers should be required to publish the full documentation underpinning the scores they report, so that anyone can check their homework. It should also be made easier for consumers and repairers to report non-compliance,” he added.

Next year, repairability is set to get another boost. EU regulations come into force in February that will mean new mobile devices must have user-replaceable batteries, with some exceptions for products like wearables. ®