Smartphone producers including Apple should be required to provide security patches and spare parts for iPhones and other devices for seven years, according to a proposal from the German government to the European Union, in a bid to make the product category better for the environment.The German federal government has entered negotiations with the European Commission to alter proposals affecting smartphone and tablet repairs and servicing. While the European Commission is working to push device vendors into offering parts and support for five years, Germany wants more to be done.The EU intends for the five years of updates to apply to smartphones and tablets, but while parts for smartphones could be offered for five years, tablets could have parts available from manufacturers for six. Heise.de reports the Federal Ministry of Economics wants the periods to stretch to seven years.Read more
