Overview
Apple is committed to creating durable and energy-efficient products. This paper details Apple's methodology for determining the EU Energy Label scores for iPhones and iPads, as required by EU regulation 2023/1669, effective June 20, 2025. The regulation mandates metrics on energy efficiency, repairability, and durability.
Apple's testing is based on the regulation's methods, but acknowledges that some parameters are ambiguous or open to interpretation. To ensure transparency and allow for replication of results, Apple explains its chosen test method choices, which in some cases were voluntarily adjusted to account for potential interpretation differences and to reflect real-world usage patterns.
Apple's Focus on Longevity
Apple's commitment to product longevity is a core part of its DNA, aiming to reduce environmental impact at every stage of the product lifecycle. This includes building durable hardware, providing ongoing software updates, and improving repairability. Apple's approach has led to increased product lifespans and reduced repair rates. For example, iPhone retains significant value compared to Android smartphones, and out-of-warranty repair rates have decreased substantially.
The company emphasizes rigorous reliability testing to ensure product durability. This commitment extends to software support, with Apple providing long-lasting operating system updates and critical security updates even for older devices. Furthermore, Apple is enhancing product repairability and expanding access to reliable repair services, including Self Service Repair for iPhone, Mac, and iPad.
Apple's environmental strategy also includes ambitious goals for carbon neutrality by 2030, focusing on reducing greenhouse gas emissions and increasing the use of recycled materials in its products. Energy efficiency is a key component, with Apple products consistently meeting or exceeding ENERGY STAR standards.
EU Energy Label for Smartphones and Tablets
The EU energy label provides information on product energy use, expanding to include metrics on energy efficiency, durability, and repairability. The new EU regulation 2023/1669 requires smartphones and tablets to display six metrics. The label includes an Energy Efficiency Index, Battery Endurance per Cycle, Repeated Free Fall Reliability Class, Repairability Class, Battery Endurance in Cycles, and Ingress Protection Rating.
Apple's goal is to transparently share its testing choices to enable others to replicate results and understand the rationale. The company adheres to a hierarchy of test methods, prioritizing explicit references in the regulation, followed by transitional test methods, and then EU guidance. Where ambiguity exists, Apple selects parameters that best represent real-world usage patterns.
As an additional measure, Apple has voluntarily derated some scores to mitigate the impact of test method ambiguities and variance, ensuring a more consistent and reliable representation of product performance.
Battery Endurance and the Energy Efficiency Index
Battery Endurance per Cycle measures how long a smartphone or tablet can perform a specific workload on a single battery charge. The Energy Efficiency Index (EEI) normalizes this by the device's battery capacity to provide a comparable energy efficiency score. The EEI is graded from A (most efficient) to G (least efficient).
Apple's historical endurance metrics reflect workloads chosen by Apple to represent customer use cases. However, the regulation's endurance results differ due to distinct workloads and testing conditions. The document details the specific tasks and conditions for both smartphone and tablet workloads, including factors like phone calls, web browsing, video streaming, and network connectivity (Wi-Fi and cellular).
The EEI score is calculated using a specific formula, and the resulting value is mapped to a scoring scale that differs for smartphones and tablets. The test setup involves shielded chambers, Wi-Fi access points, and network call boxes to simulate real-world conditions accurately.
