The products covered by the obligation to repair currently include:

  • washing machines and washer-dryers
  • dishwashers
  • refrigerators
  • electronic displays
  • welding equipment
  • servers and data storage products
  • mobile phones, cordless phones and tablets
  • tumble dryers
  • e-bikes and e-scooters batteries (from 18 February 2027)
  • local space heaters
  • dan1101@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    144
    ·
    14 hours ago

    Hopefully this will benefit other countries indirectly, instead of designing one repairable phone and one not repairable, should be easier to just design one.

    • jj4211@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      16
      ·
      8 hours ago

      So I saw that my car offered up all sorts of useful diagnostic information for self diagnosing stuff. Was very excited and went to look at it for a generic fault without having to get software to tell me what the fault is. I thought "it’s stupid it has fully functional computer display yet tells me basically “contact a dealer, but it’s safe to drive” instead of what the problem is. Then I find out that because I’m in the USA, the company keeps it to themselves…

      So if they see value in treating regions differently, they will absolutely go out of their way to screw over the regions that will let them.

      • hikaru755@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        2
        ·
        3 hours ago

        Okay, but the economics of doing that are different between software and hardware. It’s much more expensive to have a full second hardware design compared to just turning a software feature off in certain markets.

      • freebee@sh.itjust.works
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        11
        ·
        6 hours ago

        Car manufacturers screwed over consumers the last 10-15 years big time! Cars used to be the big thing many could fix a lot on by themselves and were proud to do so. Then they basically just said incrementally to the DIY’ers “it’s all computers now, not your cup of tea”, purposely made cars less and less self repairable and got away with it! It’s infuriating.

        • balsoft@lemmy.ml
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          1
          ·
          57 minutes ago

          Computers could make cars a lot more reliable and moddable. It’s proprietary/locked-down software and hardware that’s the problem.

        • elucubra@sopuli.xyz
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          2
          ·
          3 hours ago

          Do you seriously think they computerized cars to make them less repairable? That’s some tin foil hat stuff there.

          They started computerizing cars to make them more efficient, reliable (ironically), safer, etc. The problem is that beyond OBDII there is no standard for diagnostics, and makers keep these proprietary.

          • freebee@sh.itjust.works
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            1
            ·
            edit-2
            30 minutes ago

            They didn’t have to keep it proprietary, and I think in many “computer problems” the certified dealers will just replace 1 circuitboard by a new one, but it’s a part which private customers are not able to order and replace themselves

          • freebee@sh.itjust.works
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            1
            ·
            edit-2
            32 minutes ago

            They didn’t do it for that purpose, I am saying they used the opportunity of cars becoming more digital to make them less repairable outside of “certified dealers”

        • Rubanski@discuss.tchncs.de
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          1
          ·
          5 hours ago

          Exactly, repairing your car was even a very common trope in Home Improvement, which kind of catched the average American household of that time pretty well, or so at least to TVs best abilities to generalize

      • Regrettable_incident@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        1
        ·
        5 hours ago

        Yeah, I get the impression newer cars are designed to fail just outside warranty because the car companies make more on the dealerships repairs then they do on the sale of the car.

    • CaptDust@sh.itjust.works
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      119
      ·
      14 hours ago

      “Hold my beer” - Nintendo, releasing an EU centric revision. Meanwhile Apple and Samsung are digging up every legal loophole to prevent the law applying to their devices.

      • gandalf_der_13te@feddit.org
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        1
        ·
        8 minutes ago

        “Hold my beer” - Nintendo, releasing an EU centric revision.

        i wonder, do we know what will be the price difference between the EU centric version and the international version?

      • IllNess@infosec.pub
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        36
        ·
        11 hours ago

        Apple and Samsung be like: “It’s not a mobile phone or a tablet, it’s a phablet so it does not fall in to any category of the devices that need to be repairable.”

        • ViatorOmnium@piefed.social
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          8
          ·
          edit-2
          5 hours ago

          The loophole in the directive is smaller phones. Smartphones go from 10.16 cm (4 inches) diagonal to 17. 78cm (7 inches) and everything bigger (up to 44.2 cm) is a tablet.

          Samsung and Apple’s flagship smartphones are very close to be considered tablets but that wouldn’t save them from the requirements.

      • GoatSynagogue@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        3
        ·
        edit-2
        10 hours ago

        iPhones are already super easy to repair. Apple have been at the forefront of this for years.

        For the downvoters who are too blinded by their hate for Apple to believe facts:

        https://www.ifixit.com/repairability/smartphone-repairability-scores

        PROS
        • Display and battery repairs are well-prioritized, though not as well as in other (dual-entry) iPhone models.
        • Torx screws secure the battery assembly in place, making replacements straightforward.
        • Repair parts and instructions are available straight from Apple.
        CONS
        • Five different screwhead types and the continued reliance on adhesives complicate basic repairs.
        • pwalker@discuss.tchncs.de
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          3
          ·
          3 hours ago

          I have to admit that I haven’t checked ifix scores for a hot minute and am surprised that since the iphone 15 Apple consistently beats all other big brands in reparability score. Before that of course they were bad, which is probably why people remember them that way. I like that trend, hopefully Samsung and Google also hop on that bandwaggon any time soon.

          • GoatSynagogue@lemmy.world
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            1
            ·
            2 hours ago

            Strange that 73 other people, 30+ of who downvoted long after I added the proof, think that ifixit are wrong.

        • blargh513@sh.itjust.works
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          74
          ·
          13 hours ago

          Are we talking about the same apple that invented a new type of screw to keep people from taking their phones apart? The same apple that once people could get a trilobe driver, then made it so that generic replacement screens would not work because of some protection from non-apple hardware? Then went on to make sure that you can’t use non-apple parts in a laptop?

          • GoatSynagogue@lemmy.world
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            4
            ·
            edit-2
            10 hours ago

            Same Apple. Signing new parts to your device is incredibly simple and DIY now.

            https://www.ifixit.com/repairability/smartphone-repairability-scores

            PROS
            • Display and battery repairs are well-prioritized, though not as well as in other (dual-entry) iPhone models.
            • Torx screws secure the battery assembly in place, making replacements straightforward.
            • Repair parts and instructions are available straight from Apple.
            CONS
            • Five different screwhead types and the continued reliance on adhesives complicate basic repairs.
              • GoatSynagogue@lemmy.world
                link
                fedilink
                English
                arrow-up
                1
                ·
                edit-2
                2 hours ago

                I wouldn’t want to be putting second hand parts in my phone when repairing it. I can’t imagine there are many second hand screens or batteries around for sale given they’re the things that are replaced the most.

                Not that I’d ever want a second hand screen or battery anyway.

          • GoatSynagogue@lemmy.world
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            3
            ·
            edit-2
            9 hours ago

            At home with minimal tool requirements

            https://www.ifixit.com/repairability/smartphone-repairability-scores

            PROS
            • Display and battery repairs are well-prioritized, though not as well as in other (dual-entry) iPhone models.
            • Torx screws secure the battery assembly in place, making replacements straightforward.
            • Repair parts and instructions are available straight from Apple.
            CONS
            • Five different screwhead types and the continued reliance on adhesives complicate basic repairs.

            Company that rates self repairability of phones: iPhones are easy to repair by yourself using basic tools

            Lemmy: no, that can’t be true because we hate apple

            • testaccount372920@piefed.zip
              link
              fedilink
              English
              arrow-up
              4
              ·
              5 hours ago

              Not bad by the standards of modern phones, but hopefully not good enough for the new EU standards. Imo adhesives should only be used if they’re replaceable or reusable and the screws should be limited to philips and flatheads.

              • 9bananas@feddit.org
                link
                fedilink
                English
                arrow-up
                5
                ·
                2 hours ago

                hard disagree on the screws:

                philps and flatheads can be damaged too easily: torx or nothing!

                these teeny tiny screws are really finicky and both philips and flatheads are prone to slipping, causing faster wear and easily leading to stripped screws…

                any design that is inherently resistant to that is a must for small parts!

                source: worked in a repair shop ;)

                • testaccount372920@piefed.zip
                  link
                  fedilink
                  English
                  arrow-up
                  2
                  ·
                  45 minutes ago

                  Sure thing, I don’t care much about the specific screw type, just that it’s a type that’s commonly available so you don’t need a unique screwdriver for each device you own.

              • GoatSynagogue@lemmy.world
                link
                fedilink
                English
                arrow-up
                2
                ·
                edit-2
                2 hours ago

                No thank you on the flathead or Philips head screws, they get burred too easily which would basically leave your phone unrepairable.

                The less adhesives the better though, agreed there. Their phones are already definitely self-repairable enough for the new EU rules.

          • GoatSynagogue@lemmy.world
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            2
            ·
            edit-2
            10 hours ago

            Edited to add the single best source there is for the doubters and downvoters. Take a look.

            You only need a screwdriver set and maybe some rubbing alcohol.

    • farmgineer@nord.pub
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      6
      ·
      10 hours ago

      I’ve read a couple stories of companies (planning to) release EU-only models there, but non-EU-compliant ones everywhere else.

    • lemmygarden@lemmy.today
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      29
      ·
      14 hours ago

      The past two phones I bought were not because they broke, but because they stopped being supported on apps that I need to use.

      • ViatorOmnium@piefed.social
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        16
        ·
        6 hours ago

        That’s also included in the directive. Manufactures will be required to provide OS updates for at least 5 years “from the date of end of placement on the market” (which means the date the brand shipped the last device of a model).

        They also have 4 months to release security updates and 6 months for functionality updates see ANNEX II for all device categories.

        • elucubra@sopuli.xyz
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          3
          ·
          3 hours ago

          That is actually fairly reasonable. I use a 5 yr old Xiaomi which a has 8Gb (as much as an entry level Surface or MacBook. Fuck AI) an octacore CPU, great camera, ultra fast charge, great battery etc. But I realize most people change phones every 2-3 years regardless of how well their phone works, because of “shiny new thing”

          • YoSoySnekBoi@kbin.earth
            link
            fedilink
            arrow-up
            11
            ·
            13 hours ago

            Source?

            As far as I know, nearly all flagship phones, Apple or otherwise, get about 7 years of update support (except Pixel phones with GrapheneOS which get 14 ignore; I remembered this incorrectly).

            The difference is, even my old phone running Android 8 (a 9yo OS) can still browse the web, run all apps, and perform fine as a phone. An even older phone running Android 4.4 can still run 3rd party apps. iPhones seem to stop working about a year after they stop receiving updates, and they don’t support sideloading (also know as running the software you want to run on the device you own).

          • YoSoySnekBoi@kbin.earth
            link
            fedilink
            arrow-up
            4
            ·
            13 hours ago

            Huh…I’m guessing banking apps? Those are the only ones that have ever given me problems on old Android devices

            • jj4211@lemmy.world
              link
              fedilink
              English
              arrow-up
              3
              ·
              8 hours ago

              Been starting to see more randomly picky apps. Based on vintage and rooted device.

              Uninstalled the FedEx app, since every time I tapped on a tracking number, it would divert to the app which would promptly shame me for having a rooted device and refuse to run.