New law in France – Apple has to show how well iPhones can be repaired
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The “right to repair” comes from the USA, but is also becoming more and more established in Europe. This is proven by a new law in France that forces electronics manufacturers to disclose the repairability of their devices.
Last year, the French legislature passed a new environmental law, which Apple must also follow. The law, which came into force at the beginning of 2021, obliges hardware manufacturers to use an index to disclose how well a device can be repaired. The repairability index takes into account, among other things, how readily spare parts are available and how easily a device can be dismantled. Apple has now implemented the requirement. As of now, the index can be found when buying an iPhone or MacBook in the Apple Store, as the French site ” MacGeneration ” reports.
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How easy are iPhones to be repaired?
The latest iPhones in the 12 series all have an index value of 6 out of 10 – one of the reasons for this is the good price for replacement parts that make repairs affordable. iPhones of the 11 and 10 series perform significantly worse with values between 4.5 and 4.8 because spare parts are considerably more expensive. The iPhone 8/8 Plus and iPhone 7/7 Plus have the best rating for repairability with 6.6 each. The iPhone SE 2020 also does well with 6.2.
For the MacBook Pro with M1, the value fluctuates between 5.6 and 6.3. The MacBook Air with M1 is a lot better at 6.4 to 7. Here, too, the variance in the ratings is explained by the prices of the spare parts for the individual models.
Apple has created an overview page for all devices that have received an index. There are links to the individual iPhones and Macs that explain exactly how the rating is made up. The manufacturers calculate the rating themselves, but on the basis of strict guidelines.
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Repair your iPhone instead of throwing it away – to protect the environment
The index has been mandatory in France since January 1st. It was introduced so that more devices are repaired instead of thrown away. The French government plans to increase the proportion of repairs to electrical appliances sold from 40 percent to 60 percent within five years. The assessment of the repairability is intended to help inform the buyers and urge manufacturers to make improvements. From 2022 manufacturers face fines if they do not comply with the requirements in France.
With values between 4.5 and 7 above iPhones and MacBooks, Apple is in the upper midfield for repairability. A large number of other devices with corresponding ratings are already listed on the French website of the repairability index. In addition to smartphones and computers, this includes devices such as washing machines and televisions.
TECHNOLOGY BUTTON means
“With the repairability index, France is finally making manufacturers responsible for the service life of their products. Far too many devices are thrown away because the repair is no longer worthwhile – be it because the prices for spare parts are too high or the process is too complicated. Those interested in buying can now find out about repairability in advance and make a conscious decision against devices that are difficult to repair. Legislators at German and EU level are now called upon to introduce similar laws in Germany and across the EU.”
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