If you’re in the European Union and check out Apple’s website today, you’ll spot a new informational snippet accompanying iPhones and iPads: vibrant energy labels assessing each model’s efficiency, longevity, and ease of repair.
This update is not optional; it is part of Apple’s adherence to a newly implemented EU regulation.
The newly introduced labels place each device on a scale from A to G, evaluating energy efficiency and durability metrics, such as impact resistance and repairability. But, as is often the case with Apple, there’s more to the narrative.
Reflections on the New EU Regulations
Alongside the updates today, Apple has also released a 44-page technical document outlining its labeling procedure, citing the ambiguous nature of the regulation:
The EU’s new Energy Labelling regulation for smartphones and tablets specifies several provisional testing methods that contain vague language. Consequently, certain metrics on the energy label are affected by the decisions made by manufacturers and testing labs interpreting the regulation. The aim of this paper is to clarify Apple’s selected testing methodology and the scores that were, in some instances, voluntarily adjusted to reflect potential interpretations. We are eager to collaborate with other stakeholders to resolve ambiguities in testing methods moving forward.
A brief review of the document reveals that Apple is not entirely satisfied with the methodology behind some of these grades, particularly the ambiguous definitions provided by the EU.
As per Apple, its current iPhone models would actually qualify for the highest “A” grade on the energy efficiency index. However, the company chose to voluntarily lower its rating to a “B,” out of what it describes as “an abundance of caution.”
The concern? That independent testing labs could interpret the EU’s protocols in differing ways, potentially resulting in a lower score for Apple. And consider how that would appear in public.
This conservative downgrading approach also applies to iPhone drop resistance ratings. Apple asserts that it isn’t convinced the EU’s standardized drop tests accurately represent real-world durability, especially since they rely heavily on factors such as the types of wood and steel used for impact surfaces.
Here are the labels for the 11″ iPad Air, the 11″ iPad Pro, the iPhone 16, and iPhone 16 Pro:
Insight into the Labels and How to Access Them
The energy labels encompass six primary categories:
- Energy efficiency per charge
- Battery lifespan (number of complete charge cycles)
- Repairability
- Ingress protection (water and dust resistance)
- Drop impact resistance
- Battery endurance per cycle (hours of usage per full charge)
For consumers, the most noticeable change is a new icon (a colorful tag) that now appears on iPhone and iPad product pages for EU countries, including on each product’s purchase page. Clicking or tapping the icon displays the full label. They are also available in the environmental section of each product’s technical specifications.
Additionally, there is a downloadable PDF that provides deeper insights, including battery capacity in milliamp-hours (mAh), the device’s scratch resistance rating based on the Mohs hardness scale, and the guaranteed minimum number of years for which each product will continue to receive security updates.
Beyond the online updates, Apple will also now include a printed version of the energy label in the packaging of each new iPhone and iPad sold in the EU, starting with devices produced from this point onward.
Source: MacRumors
