Making it easier to repair an old smartphone or laptop, rather than buying a new one, has long been a goal of tech enthusiasts, and the EU took a big step towards making that a reality in June 2025 with the introduction of its "Ecodesign" requirements . The European Commission’s rules require manufacturers of smartphones and certain tablets to meet new obligations covering spare parts, repair information, and the fundamental design of their devices. Laptops aren’t covered by these particular rules, although other EU regulations apply to them. More than a year later, there are some real signs of improvement – but also lingering questions about the difficulty and cost of repairs. So, how much has actually changed? Are smartphones easier to repair, and are laptops heading in the same direction? To make sense of the EU’s repairability push, TechRadar spoke to three experts. (Image credit: Shutterstock) Europe’s repair revolution
The EU’s rules stop short of mandating anything too drastic. Apple does not have to make the iPhone a 10/10 on iFixit’s repairability scale, or turn it into something resembling a Fairphone. Instead, much of the focus is on spare parts: manufacturers must make specified replacement components, including screens and batteries, available for at least seven years after a model stops being available on the EU market. Manufacturers must also deliver parts within five working days for the first five years, rising to 10 days for the remaining two, while providing repair documentation and access to necessary software tools. Batteries must meet minimum durability standards, too. For consumers, perhaps the most visible change is an A–E repairability rating on the EU’s new energy labels, based on factors such as disassembly difficulty and replacement parts. The EU has also introduced a separate Right to Repair Directive , which member states had to implement by July 2026, adding protections for certain products, although laptops aren’t yet covered. The changes could have implications beyond Europe, too. "The regulation clearly influenced products sold outside Europe, because few vendors engineer a separate phone for one region," says IDC’s Francisco Jeronimo. (Image credit: Peter Hoffmann) Cracking the repair problem
In June 2026, the European Consumer Organisation (BEUC) carried out an investigation into the availability of spare parts and repair instructions across Europe, comparing smartphones with battery-powered vacuum cleaners. "The new Ecodesign rules for smartphones have improved consumers’ access to spare parts and repair instructions," says Silvia Barlassina, the group’s ecodesign project coordinator. "However, as the rules have been in force for only a year and a half, it is too early to assess whether they have led to an increase in consumer repairs." Of course, getting hold of replacement parts is only half the battle. Thomas Opsomer, an EU policy specialist at repair advocacy group iFixit, is less convinced that the rules have changed how smartphones are actually repaired. "As a result, the regulation did not really change the current mainstream smartphone design, which is one that requires heating to release the screen adhesive in order to get access to the inside of the phone for any type of repair – a procedure that is quite daunting to most users." A recent iFixit teardown of the iPhone 18 Pro shows that, despite a screwed-in battery tray and modular cameras, accessing the battery still requires removing the glued-down display. In fact, iFixit says it damaged the plastic display frame in three of the four phones it opened, although it cautioned that further testing was needed to establish whether this was a widespread problem. Physical repairs aren’t the only problem. In a separate September 2026 investigation , Right to Repair Europe and iFixit examined 2,334 smartphone-model records in the EU’s official product database, finding widespread gaps in the availability of repair instructions and spare-part prices. "We found 80% of models on the market to be non-compliant, which is not the same as 80% of units sold," says Opsomer. "We have seen dramatic improvements in the availability of instructions for self-repair from the leading manufacturers, who were previously quite reluctant to share those." Many of the shortcomings are instead concentrated among cheaper, lesser-known smartphone brands, Opsomer adds, potentially leaving budget-conscious consumers particularly exposed. There has also been progress on parts pairing, the software checks that can restrict the use of replacement components…