Buying a phone or tablet that lasts: reading the EU label

Why rank phones by durability instead of running cost?

Because charging a phone costs about €1 a year, while replacing it early costs hundreds: lifespan is what the buyer actually pays for.

Our durability score combines five label values: battery life per charge, charge cycles, drops survived, repairability and years of updates. For each one we take the device’s percentile within its own type and average them; at least four values must be declared. Phones are only scored against phones and tablets against tablets, because their batteries and drop tests are not comparable. The score is our summary, not an official EU rating.

The phones and tablets overview lists every registered device, and the most durable devices are ranked by this score.

How long will the battery last on one charge?

The label states battery endurance per charge in hours and minutes, measured with the same usage pattern for every device.

The test repeats a fixed cycle of phone calls, web browsing, video streaming, a little gaming and long idle periods, with the screen set to the same brightness, until the battery runs out. Your own day will differ, but the figure compares devices fairly.

The energy class from A to G is not the same thing. It divides endurance by the energy stored in the battery, so it rates how economically the device uses its battery. A phone with a large battery can outlast a better-class phone with a small one; for the time between charges, read the hours, or see the longest battery life list.

How many years will the battery keep its capacity?

The label gives the number of full charge cycles before the battery falls to 80 % of its rated capacity; EU ecodesign rules require at least 800.

Charging once a day, 800 cycles is a little over two years of full cycles, and partial charges count as fractions of a cycle, so most people get more calendar time than that. A higher figure on the label means the battery ages more slowly. Since June 2025, devices must also offer an optional setting that stops charging at 80 %, which slows ageing further, and phones must show the battery’s cycle count and state of health in the settings.

Can you replace the battery?

A phone’s battery must be replaceable by a layperson with no tools, the tools supplied or basic tools, unless the battery still has 83 % of its capacity after 500 cycles, reaches 1,000 cycles at 80 % and the phone is at least IP67 dust- and water-tight. Phones that meet those conditions may restrict battery swaps to professional repairers. Each model page states whether the battery is user-replaceable.

What does the drop resistance class tell you?

It shows how many falls from one metre a device survives without a defect, tested without a case or screen protector.

Every smartphone must pass at least 45 falls, so class E exists only for tablets, which have no minimum. The value on the label is the number of falls at least four of five test units survive. Screens of non-foldable phones must also resist scratching to level 4 on the Mohs hardness scale, and phones must at least be protected against splashing water and particles larger than 1 mm. The IP rating on the label shows whether a device goes further, for example IP68.

How repairable is it, and can you buy the parts yourself?

The repairability class from A to E summarises a score of 1 to 5 that covers how deep you have to take the device apart, the fasteners and tools needed, spare parts, update years and repair information.

• Spare parts must be available for at least 7 years after the model is no longer placed on the market.
• You can order the battery, display assembly, back cover where it must come off for a battery swap, the charger and the SIM tray yourself; cameras, ports, buttons, microphones and speakers go to professional repairers.
• Parts must arrive within 5 working days for the first five years, then within 10.
• Repair and maintenance information must be available to professional repairers for the same 7 years.

Under the right-to-repair directive (EU) 2024/1799, which EU countries must apply from 31 July 2026, manufacturers are also obliged to repair phones and tablets on request outside the legal guarantee, at a reasonable price or free. The most repairable devices are ranked by the repairability score.

How many years of software updates will you get?

At least five years from the date the model stops being placed on the market, under Regulation (EU) 2023/1670.

Security and corrective updates must reach users within four months of the underlying operating system update, functionality updates within six months. If a functionality update slows the device down, the manufacturer must restore the previous performance unless you agreed to the trade-off beforehand. Because the clock starts at the end of sales, buying a model late in its life gives you fewer years than buying it at launch. Manufacturers can declare longer support, and the repairability score rewards six or seven years. See the longest software support list.

When is it better to repair than to replace?

Repair while the device still receives security updates and the repair costs clearly less than a replacement with similar years of support ahead.

1. Check the battery’s state of health in the settings: a worn battery is the most common reason a phone feels old, and a swap is the cheapest fix.
2. Look up how many years of updates the model still has; a device without security updates is a poor candidate for an expensive repair.
3. Compare the repair price with a new or refurbished device, dividing each by the years of updates it offers.

The label explainer for phones and tablets goes through every field on the label.

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