Smartphone warranty may expand up to seven years if EU law passes

The EU product safety and compliance framework are trying to help general consumers by expanding smartphone warranty up to seven years, which is generally one year. The move is pretty bold and will impact the market significantly from a consumer point of view but primarily manufacturers. The movement is also going to help achieve sustainable products and transparent supply for customers.

Even if we think about the environment by producing fewer products and using them for an extended period, it is already worth it. The European Commission is giving the German government hope that they may rely on repairability goals. In August, the European Commission moved further with the project to expand the longevity of repairs from manufacturers, which may help gain them extra trust from consumers.

Because they can rely on a product line longer than before and stick to a device for an extended amount of time, the law will be available for both smartphones and tablets along with software updates for five years.

Available updates will extend for three years, and the warranty will be valid for smartphones with a battery of 80% or below capacity after 1000 charges. Manufacturers are also instructed to supply additional parts for replacement because original parts are not available everywhere, and incompatible elements damage them faster than usual.

There are many brands in the market, and to keep up with the quality, we think the move will be pretty helpful. Brands such as Apple provide software updates for a few years after initial release, but the hardware section has tough repairability, which can be costly. This puts a burden on many people as they want to hold on to the devices longer.

Consumers are certainly going to welcome the longevity of their products, but in some cases, costs may become unsuitable and even non-acquirable for some reason. So, they will be locked in obsolescent products if the expansions are not thought out properly.

The product safety framework with CE Trustmark will change ideas in a few places, but public policy, the excellent process, has severer complexity. To maintain a better reputation, brands and the ruling committee need to develop product-specific and sector-specific knowledge for emphasizing the importance of a comprehensive process.

However, the android device gets software updates two to three years until the newer version becomes too choppy for the device. Even for physical metrics like aesthetic improvement of glass in the casing may become a complicated process.

Thirty per cent of users replaced their devices because of performance loss compared to the newer models, and 19 per cent were returned because of software issues. So, what to do with these older devices? They cost money in the first place, and of course, newer technology is always better, but some of the things are good enough for a bit longer, and the warranty expansion will cover that area. We saw Apple throttling their phones if the battery hits specific criteria, which the company unsaid and discovered later. It was to maintain a steady performance for the rest of the device, which hit company shares.

Europe is pretty strict when it comes to customer policy and innovation in tech movements. They handle the matter with much care, and it will not be any different this time.

Yet, what the future holds is questionable. If there is less product waste, it is better for the environment too. As Europe is becoming aware of green ambitions, the challenge will undoubtedly be tackled.

On a stage of circular economy, linear economy takes in three categories: intelligent product use and manufacture, extended lifespan of the product and its parts, and practical application of materials. They will be taken care of within the law.