In compliance with a French law, Apple has started publishing scores on the repairability of its products, such as the iPhone 12 and the MacBook. The score must be published by electronics and home appliance manufacturers in the country. It takes into account characteristics such as how easy it is to disassemble a device and the availability of repair manuals and spare parts.

France brought the new law into effect on January 1, aiming to encourage waste reduction. In November last year, we publish Europe would begin classifying electronics by ease of repair this year, with France becoming the first European country to adopt the new criteria. The rule, called the Right to Repair, requires products to be labeled with clear information about their estimated durability and repairability.

According to a French platform led by the startup Spareka, aimed at guiding people on how to fix their own devices, in 2020, only 40% of devices in the country were repaired after they broke. The French government aims to increase this figure to 60% in five years, and the new law aims to raise awareness among local consumers and put pressure on manufacturers to make improvements to their products.

A Apple shows progress in this regard with the iPhone 12 Pro Max, for example, which has a repairability score of 6,0 out of a possible 10. This index surpasses the score of the iPhone 11 Pro Max, which was 4,6 out of 10. The scores of the devices Apple in France they can be accessed here.

The scoring criteria

The scores range from 0 to 10, and are colored from red, for the lowest scores, to green, for the highest scores. There are five criteria that companies must consider when scoring each of their products. In addition to ease of disassembly, it is necessary to evaluate the availability of repair information, the availability of spare parts, the price of spare parts, and whether the product complies with specific standards on repair problems, according to each product class.

Currently, the law in France The law is only applicable to smartphones, laptops, televisions, washing machines and lawn mowers, but there is an expectation that the types of products will increase. In addition, for now, there are no fines being applied until 2022, when companies will be penalized if they do not comply with the new requirements.

However, there is the detail that the scores are published according to reports from the companies themselves. That is, if the Apple points out that the iPhone 12 Pro Max has a 6,0/10 repairability rating, there is no independent test indicating whether the rates correspond with reality or not. Therefore, it is up to the manufacturers themselves to look out for the well-being of their customers and their own image of legitimacy.

Samsung is one of the companies that has already sought to make changes and adjustments to comply with the law, aiming to improve its ratings. The Korean company now provides a online repair guide for its Galaxy S21 Plus, in an apparent attempt to increase its repairability score compared to the 2020 model.

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