Since this morning, Apple has introduced new information on iPhone and iPad specifications: the energy label required by the European Union. Similar to the Nutri-Score for food products, this label allows consumers to see at a glance the energy efficiency class of a smartphone or tablet in letter form, "A", "B", "C", up to "G" for the worst rating.
The label doesn't stop there. It also contains information on battery life per cycle (in hours and minutes), resistance to repeated drops, battery durability (in number of cycles), repairability, and protection against dust and water. An iPhone 16 Pro gets a B rating for energy efficiency, while the iPad Air scores a very modest G:
Apple is obviously not the only manufacturer to be subject to this regime, but the apple company has benefited from the implementation of this measure to publish a white paper on the methodology for establishing the various information on the label. As a preamble, Apple assures that it supports the European initiative that encourages "innovation and actions in favor of longevity, energy efficiency and the environment."
But this does not prevent criticism of the testing methods imposed by the EU, which are deemed ambiguous, contradictory or poorly defined, particularly regarding the measurement of energy efficiency, repeated drop tests, audio volume calibration and the interpretation of failure criteria.
This is why Apple has voluntarily chosen to lower certain energy label scores to avoid any potential discrepancy between the results obtained by itself and those of the independent laboratory that uses other parameters. The manufacturer explains that all iPhones could have achieved the highest "A" rating for energy efficiency, but it chose to stick with a more cautious "B" in the face of differences in interpretation.
In the same vein, the durability tests were downgraded to a lower letter than what internal tests suggest. Regarding the iPad, Apple deplores an energy efficiency scale that does not take into account differences in usage or performance. According to the company, the iPad Pros are penalized despite their efficiency.
Apple would actually like to see harmonized standards to avoid differences in interpretation, which can indeed distort comparisons between brands.
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