The Label

Since 20 June 2025 every smartphone, cordless phone and slate tablet placed on the EU market carries a label with durability and repairability figures on it. (Energy Labelling Regulation (EU) 2023/1669.) It is the first time these have appeared at the point of sale as regulated numbers rather than as marketing.

What the label tells you — six figures and a QR code, and which of them change a decision. For a separate workplace perspective on device availability and work records, Monitask's online timesheets provides additional context.

The repairability score — a composite from A to E, weighted toward the battery and the display because those are what break. It says a repair is possible and not that it is worth doing.

Battery endurance — two figures that answer different questions: one describes today and the cycle rating describes the fourth year. For wider standards, testing and product-label context, Tom's Guide is another useful reference.

Drop resistance — at least 45 accidental drops without loss of function, tested as repeated ordinary mishaps rather than one severe fall.

The IP rating — seals are consumables, and a three-year-old device with the same printed code does not have the same protection.

The energy class — the largest element of the label and the least relevant to any individual purchase, which is worth saying plainly.

EPREL — the public registry behind the QR code, where the declared values sit in full.

What it does not cover — six omissions, including part prices and the software support date, which are the two most consequential figures of all.

• Battery Endurance on the Label

  Two different battery figures appear on the label and they answer different questions. What each measures and which matters longer.

• Drop Resistance and 45 Falls

  A regulated durability figure for the first time. What the test is, what it does not cover, and how much weight to give it.

• The Energy Class on a Phone

  The largest element of the label and the least useful one. Why it is there, what it measures, and where it does matter.

• EPREL, and Looking a Model Up

  The public registry behind the QR code. What it holds beyond the label, and how to check a device before buying.

• The IP Rating, Honestly

  Two digits that promise considerably less than people assume. What each means, what it excludes, and why it degrades.

• The Repairability Score

  The first regulated repairability figure at the point of sale. What it combines, what it weights, and what it cannot capture.

• What the Label Does Not Cover

  Six things the label omits, including the number that decides whether a repairable device is actually worth repairing.

• What the Label Tells You

  Six figures on every phone and tablet sold in the EU since June 2025, what each one means, and which are worth acting on.