Design for durability of mobile phones

Eco Rating assessment of environmental performance shows improved durability and reparability ratings of smart phones on the European market, yet it only covers a limited range of models.

The consortium behind Eco Rating has developed a methodology to assess the environmental performance over the life cycle of more than 20 original equipment manufacturers of smartphones and features phones put on the EU market.

Looking at the durability scores of the most recent devices, we see that:

- The devices launched and evaluated in 2024 perform significantly better on charge connector lifetime and battery life compared to 2020-2022. They also show slight improvements in dust protection.

- The average guarantee period for smartphones released in 2022 was 1 year and 9 months. For the newest models released in 2024, this has increased to approximately 2 years and 6 months.

The recently launched mobile phones also tend to perform better in terms of repairability. This includes aspects such as the ease of disassembling parts and batteries, as well as availability of information and tools needed for a repair.

Considering the aggregate market share of the assessed mobile phones, it unfortunately does not represent the majority of the current stock in use in Europe. Neither Apple nor Google participates and while Samsung did until 2022 but discontinued since 2023. A deeper analysis of the scores shows that these positive trends on durability and repairability do not extend to models that target low end customers. These models typically score lower on both aspects. The positive trend on durability is driven by a few niche brands. When weighing the results for market shares, the actual improvement of the selected models was less significant, indicating that (of the selected models) the larger volume of sales where of the relatively lower preforming on durability.

However, several argumentations support the conclusion that mobile phones are becoming more durable overall. Eco Rating shows that brands often work with suppliers who also serve other OEMs, meaning durability improvements in parts benefit a wide range of smartphones. Some manufacturers focus on rugged smartphones, proving that improved durability is feasible, with these models scoring higher on Eco Rating for durability. OEMs are also offering longer software and security updates, driven by consumer demand for longer-lasting, secure devices. This supports phones remain functional and safe over extended periods.

It is worth mentioning that some manufactures put durability and repairability as a main design feature and reach some of the highest scores.

The design for durability should encourage users to extend the use of their mobile devices, thereby spreading their environmental impacts over a longer period and reducing their total lifetime impacts. If the product last longer, there is (in principle) no needed to produce a new device to substitute it. There are different strategies to increase the durability of the product. Preventing defects through robust technical requirements is the top priority, ensuring the device can withstand premature component failure and rough handling by consumers. Additionally, it is essential that any defects do not shorten the device’s lifespan, which can be achieved through good repairability and effective management and information schemes, such as implementing regular software updates – incl. OS updates, functional updates, corrective fixes, and security patches throughout the entire lifecycle of more than 3 years.

Most of the EU mobile operators have set ambitioned net zero carbon targets by 2040 that is even sooner than the STBi target 2050. In order to achieve that, the operators depend on capabilities of mobile manufacturers to reduce the emission throughout their entire device life cycle (cradle-to-grave). The intention of Eco Rating fulfils therefore two key targets:

1. It gives each customer that transparency of sustainable choice.

2. It gives all device manufacturers, including their sub-suppliers (e.g. chipset and battery suppliers) of the entire supply chain (incl. raw material supplier, assembly factory, logistics company, etc) a guideline about how to reduce the environmental impact of their upcoming mobile devices to achieve that green and challenging targets.

The Eco Rating methodology has been developed with technical support and supervision from IHOBE, with the participation of device suppliers, using the latest standards and guidelines from the European Union (e.g. PEF), ITU-T, ETSI and ISO with new parameters introduced where appropriate.

Within the years of the launch of Eco Rating (May 2021 – April 2024) around 550 smartphone and feature phones from more than 20 participating mobile suppliers were assessed. However, Apple, Google and Samsung (since 2023) do not provide that transparency through that harmonised solution. Eco Rating is supported by GSMA Circularity Report and used by other operators too.

Each assessed device encompasses more than 150 environmental and sustainability parameters looking at durability, repairability, recyclability, use of hazardous and restricted substances, recycled materials content and waste from packaging.

- In order to assess “durability” the Eco Rating methodology assesses performance on drop resistance, guarantee period, dust and water protection, battery life and charge connector lifetime of smartphones put on the European market. For more information see ecoratingdevices.com providing data and documentations.

The aspects that could be improved from a technical perspective are for example to use more durable materials, to increase the degree of protection provided by enclosures (against water and dust ingress), to increase the resistance to accidental drops, to increase battery and charge connector endurance etc. The durability of the device can be also promoted by some management and information aspects, such as increasing the guarantee period of the device, availability of software updates etc.

Next to technical and management aspects, behavioural aspects can also be determining. That is why the Eco Rating consortium provides following recommendations to customers. For example:

- The battery inside a mobile phone is a sensitive item. Quick or permanent charging, trickle charging and exposure to excessively cold or warm temperatures will reduce its useful life. It is also recommended to keep the battery level between 30% and 80% for optimal performance.

- Do not keep the device in environments that are too hot or too humid. This will increase corrosion and can impact components, including the battery.

- Always ensure the device is kept up to date with the latest available software updates and security patches in order to avoid vulnerabilities. Missed software updates can give the impression that the device is performing poorly or incorrectly – encouraging people to replace the device early.

- Protect the devices with a protective silicone case for drops and screen protector for scratches.

- Use “Energy Saving” mode in the device settings and ensure that Apps go in idle/sleep mode when not used permanently.

- In case the display has too many scratches or is broken and/or the battery has too low capacity and/or other parts do not function anymore, do not throw away the device but bring it to an authorized repair centre. A repair is often much cheaper than purchasing a new device.

- In case you decided to buy a new device, trade-in your old device or return it to a supplier or operator. In many cases you will get some residual value. Operators will consider repairing or refurbishing the device.

Definition

Design for durability of mobile phones

Methodology

Metric derived from data collected and hosted by Eco Rating. The underlying methodology is described in: https://www.ecoratingdevices.com/Eco-Rating-2024-Methodology-R05.pdf

Metadata

Data source: Eco rating www.ecoratingdevices.com

Unit: none

Temporal coverage: 2020-2024

Geographic coverage: Worldwide (By the end of 2023 Eco Rating had been launched in more than 35 countries.)

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References and footnotes

Participation in Eco Rating is open to all operators. Deutsche Telekom, Orange, Telefónica, Telia and Vodafone are the owners of the Eco Rating methodology. Though, participation in Eco Rating is open to all operators. Details see www.ecoratingdevices.com
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Operators sell these products of the device suppliers and hence have to report the Scope 3 emissions in their own ESG reporting. As Eco Rating is harmonised, they can easily compare if these goals are improved.
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GSMA, Strategy Paper for Circular Economy: Mobile devices, 2022
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