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?
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.
Thanks, I might consider it when my current Pixel kicks it, I'm not really into the fairtrade greenwashing bs but if it's legit durable and repairable I'll pay the price premium.
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.
That's great. I'm very nostalgic for my old FP2 (which i only recently stopped using). Still worth buying a FP3 then by the sound of it... Do you know if EOS has google services removed? And can you allow hotspot connections to use the phone's VPN? Thanks :)
EOS does indeed have google services removed, and replaced with microG, which is an open source replacement that allows dependent apps to still work. You can check it out here: https://e.foundation/e-os/
I really like the balance they go for between practicality and privacy. Never tried their own online services so I can't comment on that part.
As for VPN with hotspot, no idea. :D For what it's worth, regular hotspotting worked fine in my experience.
If you're concerned about the lifespan of the device, maybe the FP4 or FP5 would better. Lacking headphone jack aside, they seem like good upgrades and should last waaay longer.
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.
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.
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.
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.
I think it could be because Google may offer them quite a bit longer hardware support. They had to go with some industrial SoC for the FP5 to get Qualcomm to offer even a half decent hardware support cycle.
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.
I like having options and the versatility personally 😁
The 3.5mm jack can also be used to record video audio with a much better microphone, attach a HW infrared blaster, or use your device as a crude oscilloscope im a pinch with appropriate software
The more common use case is people with existing wired headphones - there's honestly no need to cast aside perfectly good cans for no reason. Yes USB-C DACs exist, but IMO that's a completely manufactured expense and inconvenience, considering almost all phones still have the 3.5mm dac and amplifier components physically present on the mainboard: only now you must purchase a dongle to access the output via passthrough, or purchase a third party dongle that includes its own DAC.
My pain point though is the fact that users with wired headphones are now being forced to induce more usage cycles on a single connector port (which is not always economically repairable on modern devices), and all the avoidable e-waste produced by these things when the unreplaceable, consumable batteries give up the ghost after two years of ownership
This awesome if its possible. The article said they would try reduce costs by closer partnerships with Google and Qualcomm but I don't think hat will get them to reduce their prices that drastically. I hope I'm wrong though!
