Previously, the European Commission (EC) voted for all devices to use USB-C ports. Now they have decided to carry out another enforcement - better phones and tablets battery life and spare parts. According to sources, draft proposals have already been published this week.
If the regulation is approved, it is going to force phone manufacturers to supply at least 15 different spare parts. This is so that professional repairers can stand by and repair the devices for the first five years before expiring. On top of that, the EC also wants consumers to have guaranteed access to replacement batteries, displays, chargers, back covers, as well as SIM card trays for the same period.
Just like the reasoning behind removing chargers for selected phones, the EC's draft proposals also aim to reduce the carbon footprint of Europe. The Financial Times said that extending phones' lifecycles by five years, is the equivalent of removing 5 million cars. It may seem like an exaggeration but the point is to reduce as much e-waste as possible.
Should the phone manufacturers can't meet the proposal of supplying batteries to consumers for five years, then they will have to pass the battery endurance test. The standard would be that devices must still have 80% battery capacity after 1000 full charge cycles, as well as provide software updates that don't affect the battery life.
That being said, phones and tablets with a flexible screen panel or high-security features aren't subjected to the regulation. New energy labels on devices could also be introduced if the proposal passes, which will indicate the battery life and resistance to water, dust and drops.
But what do you think of this proposal? Is it practical? Let us know in the comments below and stay tuned for more trending tech news at TechNave.com.
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