Phone labels can tell you things a glossy launch presentation leaves out. For smartphones covered by the EU rules applying from 20 June 2025, the energy label brings efficiency, battery endurance and repairability into the same buying conversation.
Read the two scales correctly
The familiar energy-efficiency scale runs from A to G. The repairability rating is different: A is the most repairable class and E the least repairable, according to the European Commission.
These are separate measurements. A strong result on one scale should not be read as a promise about every other aspect of the device.
The label also includes information on battery endurance per charge, battery endurance in cycles, resistance to repeated accidental drops and protection against dust and water. It gives you several questions to ask, rather than a single winner to buy.
Compare the exact model
The QR code on the label connects buyers to EPREL, the European Product Registry for Energy Labelling. The Commission’s public database allows anyone to look up and compare registered products.
Check that the record matches the specific model you are considering. Save the product information sheet beside your shortlist, so that a persuasive display or an attractive colour does not replace the comparison you intended to make.
Match the information to your habits
A phone for frequent travel, photography or a long working day may involve different priorities. Decide which matters most to you before looking at prices, and use the label to examine the less glamorous details.
The Commission describes the battery figure as endurance per cycle in hours and minutes. Treat that as comparison information, rather than a personal promise that your own combination of apps and settings will deliver exactly the same result.
Do not confuse a useful label with the whole purchase
Software, size, accessibility and how the device feels in your hand still deserve attention. So do the repair options and costs you can actually obtain from the seller or manufacturer.
Before upgrading, take five minutes to read the label and the matching product sheet. The camera may get the headlines, but the details that help you choose a phone to keep can be just as important.
Further information
European Commission — smartphones and tablets
European Commission — launch of the rules
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