EU proposes to force cell phones to be updated for 5 years, with parts available

A new proposal from European Union could change the mobile market forever. The organization now wants to require manufacturers like Apple , Samsung and more now carry out the update of smartphones sold in Europe for longer than is already practiced.

In practice, not only would the premium category models receive the latest operating system versions, but there would also be more parts on hand, for any problems that might arise. And the proposal also foresees the end of the known programmed obsolescence. Check all the details right now.

OS upgrade for more people

In order to avoid the waste and carbon footprint generated in manufacturing, transport and other activities until a smartphone reaches the consumer, the European Union is about to approve a series of rules for products marketed in Europe.

The first one talks about updating smartphones. It is well known that older models end up not receiving the new versions of operating systems because, according to the manufacturers, they do not have the minimum requirements to run the new features.

companies like Google e Samsung they are the companies that pay the most attention to this issue, but even so, they would need to change the way they work. THE Samsung for example, it sends security packages to the owners of “older” devices.

But the system update (from one generation of Android to the other) happens for a maximum of four years and not all models end up receiving this and everything ends up being sent to premium smartphones.

The new rule would require all smartphone makers that wanted to sell their products to offer at least three years of operating system upgrades and the submission of security packages for five years. And if approved, this will need to be done for models of all categories, regardless of the price at which the device was purchased. In practice: an entry-level cell phone, which was purchased for less than 300 euros, would receive the same upgrades as the more expensive models.

Parts available for longer

Another way to prevent people from exchanging their cell phones would be due to the availability of more parts on the market. It is true that after about three years, companies stop manufacturing the devices and especially the components, to dedicate themselves to more recent releases.

The project of European Union wants to demand that the practice go from three to five years. The idea here is to avoid that more products need to be transported and that, of course, people stop exchanging their smartphones due to the components being no longer available on the market. Also, if there is a shortage of spare parts, replacement ends up being the most viable alternative.

The European Union would now require more batteries, screens, cameras, charging ports to be manufactured so that, in case of any need, customers would not be left without alternatives and would have to make a new purchase (which would increase the carbon footprint and also would increase the chances of incorrect disposal).

According to EU data, extending life from two to three years to five years would be like taking millions of cars off the road.

The end of planned obsolescence

Has your phone ever had a change in usage experience after an operating system update? This phenomenon has a name. In practice, program obsolescence is adopted by companies so that older models do not stop working due to being active for a long time. Few companies assume that they adopt this, but it is certain that it happens after a smartphone update.

The main change with this new rule is to prevent battery life from being shorter. The document cites that the item "must not deteriorate after an operating system software update or a firmware update when measured with the same test standard originally used for the declaration of conformity."

Also, the performance power of the processor should not be affected after a smartphone update happens, but that still goes for third-party software. In other words: devices cannot have their maximum performance capacity reduced due to an update, as this practice can also be a reason for a person to make a new purchase.

What comes next?

After passing through the moment of capturing feedback, the new rules must be approved by the end of 2022 and implementation in practice must take place within 12 months. The change would cause major changes in the smartphone market and more costs for manufacturers, so don't be surprised by a certain repulsion from companies at the beginning of deployments.

A European Union is one of the world organizations that has caused the most changes in the technology market and in addition to proposing changes in the smartphone update process, should also require, by 2024, iPhones to have a USB-C connection. The rule would make the Apple finally enter the list of companies that are adept at this type of connection, but it is not yet known how this would be done in practice.

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Sources: Android Authority l UE l Phone Labels