EU Now Requires Energy Efficiency Labels on All New Smartphones and Tablets Sold From June 20

Starting June 20, 2025, all newly sold smartphones and tablets in the European Union must include a new ENERGY label inside their packaging. This initiative is part of the EU’s broader push to help consumers make more informed choices while reducing overall CO₂ emissions linked to electronics.

What Devices Are Covered?

The regulation applies to:

Smartphones (cellular or satellite-enabled)

Cordless landline phones

Feature phones without apps or internet

Tablets with display sizes between 7 and 17.4 inches

Devices launched before June 20 and certain specialized products (like rollable phones or high-security smartphones) are exempt.

What’s On the ENERGY Label?

Each product will carry a sticker with seven key performance indicators, rated mostly from A (best) to G (worst):

1. Overall energy efficiency class

2. Battery endurance per full charge (in hours and minutes)

3. Drop test (free fall) reliability class

4. Battery cycle endurance (number of full charges)

5. Repairability class

6. Ingress protection (dust/water resistance) rating

7. Software support commitment

The testing behind the battery endurance rating comes from SmartViser, a French automation company whose methods are already used in many expert lab battery tests.

New Eco-Design Standards

To comply with the regulation, devices must meet five eco-design criteria:

Durability: Survive drops and be dust/water resistant.

Battery longevity: At least 800 full charging cycles with 80% capacity retained.

Repairability: Spare parts available within 5–10 working days for 7 years post end-of-sale.

Software support: At least 5 years of OS updates after sales end.

Repair access: Open and equal access to firmware/software for professional repairers.

Additionally, all compliant devices must be registered in the European Product Registry for Energy Labelling (EPREL), managed by the European Commission.