Do these things really deliver on their promise? Did anybody have one for multiple years? Is it really easily repairable? Is it more durable than your average smartphone?
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Yes, at least in my experience.
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I’ve used my Fairphone 4 since I got it in Febuary 2022, although I ordered it November 2021, replacing the Oneplus 3 I’d bought at release. Main reason for the upgrade was because of the relockable bootloader, which meant it would get CalyxOS support.
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Repair is trivially easy. Like, you have to be an idiot to make a mess of it easy. Only thing I’ve replaced so far is the plastic back (for reasons explained in answer 4) which took literal seconds. I also bought a spare battery that can, again, be swapped in seconds. It’s come in clutch several times. I’ve disassembled and reasessembled this phone to satisfy the same impulse I get when taking apart a pen.
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I’m very clumsy, for reference repairing my old OP3 cost me double what I initially paid for it. The FP4 has so far landed face down on the pavement about as many times my OP3 did, and the only damage it’s recieved is to the plastic back, which takes alot of the impact energy with it when it pops off. Eventually the back had so many chips in the sides it had to be replaced but everything else has remained fully functional despite such mistreatment. It’s also thicker than most phones, it feels comfortably sturdy to hold. There was also a massive camera upgrade recently thanks to a software update, although being on CalyxOS I can’t offer first hand impressions.
I just updated my FP3 to Android 13 yesterday. I love it. It’s still running like new. Software aside, I’d say it’s physically as durable as most phones, but I can easily replace any part that might break, since it’s made in such a modular design. Heck it even came with a screwdriver to make it easier.
Sorry for the late reply. I think they promised “5+ years” of support for the FP3, so that could theoretically already end in August this year.
However, like with the FP2, they have a great track record for long support and only ever seem to want to push that support even farther. Also I’m using the EOS ROM on this phone which is based on LineageOS. The combination of a very open phone and an open source OS leads me to expect I’ll still be using this phone for another 5 years easily.
I’m still using my FP3 that is now close to 4 years old. It’s still working great. I just changed the battery once, but that was trivial to do. I didn’t have to change anything else, but most parts are still available in their store.
I hope this means a US release is soon
You can technically get a Fairphone 4 in the US. Unfortunately, it’s only supported by T-Mobile’s network.
This sounds like very bad news imo.
To be more than a blip on the radar, Fairphone needs to go way past 80% of customer needs. Hendriks says people want to make a contribution (to sustainability), but they don’t want to sacrifice everything else in the process.
This sounds like the new CEO wants to sacrifice sustainability for popularity. The current gen fairphones are everything they need to be imo. There is barely a need for improvements on the hardware side and its supported very well by custom roms.
To achieve that feat, Fairphone is more closely collaborating with Google and Qualcomm.
This could mean anything but i dont think collaborating closely with google is what Fairphones need more of tbh.
No. They do design work for chips but they do not have any fabs to actually make chips. Samsung and in the future TSMC are the ones actually making the chips for google.
But yeah maybe they just want some advice on SoC design. The Pixel phones do have decent hardware i must admit.
But will it be 18:9 or more compact?
I really need a better option in the US. I use phones I fix from relatives who discard them, but it’s not exactly fun prying out a glued in spicy pillow battery every time (plus fully replacing the glass because it’s practically designed to shatter when opened). I looked into Fairphone but those expanded markets don’t seem to include mine.
