Smartphone makers don't bother to comply with EU repairability requirements(theregister.com)
304 points by mdp2021 3 days ago | 200 comments
tl;dr: One year into the EU's smartphone repairability rules, over 80% of devices fail to provide required repair information, with roughly half of registry entries containing blank URL fields and some pointing users to Temu or AliExpress for parts. Manufacturers self-assign repairability scores with no verification, and many non-compliant vendors still give themselves top "class A" ratings. Right to Repair Europe is calling for stricter enforcement and mandatory documentation ahead of February's incoming rules requiring user-replaceable batteries.
HN Discussion:
  • ~EU enforcement is typically slow and gradual; low compliance early on is expected and improvement will come
  • Regulation is good but must be backed by robust and even-handed enforcement to be effective
  • Confirms and amplifies the article's findings about manufacturers deceptively linking to AliExpress
  • Focus should be on user-replaceable batteries as the key repairability issue
  • Early-stage non-compliance doesn't matter much; consumer choice and gradual change is what counts