/kilian-seiler-PZLgTUAhxMM-unsplash-631639044222441fbe0523eb13c8480a.jpg "Why Germany’s Push for 7-Year Repairs and Spares Is So Important")
Germany has urged the EU to force mobile device makers to ensure seven years of security updates and spare parts availability.
Recently, the European Commission proposed a five-year minimum for the same things, but Germany wants to go longer. That’s no surprise for people living in Germany, which already has a minimum two-year warranty period for new purchases, and a one-year warranty for used goods. But will this seven-year plan actually make repairing our gadgets easier? Will phone and tablet designs have to change to accommodate it? Or will nothing really change?
“The European Commission’s work could put significant pressure on smartphone and tablet makers to make screens and batteries easier to find, buy, and install,” Kevin Purdy of repair advocate iFixit, told Lifewire via email. “Batteries are the one thing everybody will need to replace eventually; screens are the first thing to go when accidents happen. Having spares available, along with service guides for them, is a wonderfully high base from which we can climb even further.”
