Changing your smartphone every autumn isn’t inevitable. That’s the message from Oekotopten.lu, which is updating its comparison tool by adding a repairability index designed to help consumers make more informed choices. On Tuesday 4 August, the website reminds readers that before buying a new device, it is best to consider whether the smartphone they already own can still meet their needs. The issue is as much environmental as it is economic. Extending a device’s lifespan, passing it on to a family member or friend, or opting for a second-hand or refurbished model helps to limit the consumption of raw materials and emissions linked to manufacturing and transport, whilst reducing household bills.
For consumers who still need to buy a new device, Oekotopten.lu recommends looking beyond price, performance or features. Since 20 June 2025, smartphones and tablets sold in the European Union have carried an energy label providing information on, amongst other things, their energy consumption, battery life and durability, as well as their repairability rating, graded from A to E.
A new feature of the comparison tool is that, in addition to this classification, it displays a repairability index ranging from 0 to 5. This indicator helps to distinguish between devices within the same category. For example, two smartphones classified as “B” might receive scores of 3.1 and 3.9, with the second being significantly easier to repair. This index is calculated based on factors including ease of disassembly, fastening systems, the tools required for repair, the availability of spare parts, the duration of software updates and the accessibility of repair guides. Oekotopten.lu only lists smartphones that achieve at least a C rating.
Fairphone in the lead, with Apple and Samsung trailing behind
The ranking also highlights a clear gap between manufacturers. The top two spots go to Fairphone, a Dutch company specialising in smartphones designed to last and be easily repaired. The brand has built its model around a modular design, with spare parts available for several years and extended software support. Unsurprisingly, the Fairphone 6 and Fairphone 5 are the only models to achieve an A rating, with repairability scores of 4.77 and 4.37 out of 5. Only eight other smartphones achieved a B rating, including models from Crosscall, Oppo, Samsung and Doro.
Conversely, the brands best known to the general public do not dominate this ranking. Apart from the Galaxy XCover 7, Samsung has no other models ranked above Class C. Apple and Xiaomi, for their part, have no smartphones ranked A or B in this selection. The most popular models from these three brands therefore lag behind the top performers in terms of repairability, with scores generally ranging from 2.6 to just over 3 out of 5 – significantly behind the top performers.
The difference does not lie in the devices’ performance, but in the criteria used to assess their reparability and lifespan, such as ease of disassembly, the availability of spare parts, repair guides and the duration of software updates. Nokia is also included in the selection, but its models do not yet have a repairability rating or index on the website. The same applies to a few older models from Apple and Samsung, for which only the available technical data is displayed.
