Fairphone thinks its fair to offer a not-very-major and slightly-more-recycled new model

Ethical smartphone maker Fairphone, the Amsterdam-based social enterprise that designs sustainable phones made in exploitation-free factories, will release a new model of its flagship unit in September. The new Fairphone 3 Plus has the same core stats as last year's model, the Fairphone 3, plus a better camera module and a …

[A Non e-mouse]

Buying

Our CEO is very keen on the green agenda and we tried to buy a couple of Fairphones to test. Fairphone said you can only buy the phones from them direct and only with an airtime contract. (Which is no match for our corporate contract)

Cue one disappointed CEO.

[Dan 55]

Re: Buying

Wouldn't that depend on the country and the reseller? I'm sure there'd be nothing to stop you buying two from Fairphone's online shop.

[TeeCee]

Re: Buying

To quote the OP; ...you can only buy the phones from them direct...

What reseller?

Presumably they themselves have done an exclusive deal with an operator in each market to get the generous bribecommission.

Define "ethical"...

[Dan 55]

Re: Buying

I searched the forum, there are resellers, although not in the UK. Operators do sell it in the UK though.

I went through the shopping cart process as far as I could as a business without buying and there's nothing which mentions that businesses must buy airtime, so it seems it could be bought direct from the manufacturer.

[clp]

Re: Buying

That's strange. I bought a retail FF3 early this year, from reseller Ballicom, to use with my existing contract. Vodafone sent me a new SIM and it was good to go :)

[boshy]

Re: Buying

have you tried their website? you can buy directly from there - £379 for a fairphone 3 and £425 for a 3+

[Tom Chiverton 1]

O/S

So, Lineage? Android?...?

Seems you just reprinted a press release.

[julian_n]

Re: O/S

Android 9.0 Pie (sadly not Android one) - but with option of /e/OS.

Or you can buy them preinstalled with /e/OS - https://esolutions.shop/shop/e-os-fairphone-3/

[Scott 53]

Re: O/S

It says Android 10 on their website

[Anonymous Coward]

How long is the software support?

The most ethical and enviornmentally friendly way to own and use a phone is to keep it for as long as possible. Offering a phone which is easily repaired supports that aim. But how long will they provide software updates, at least security fixes? I would happily pay a reasonable annual subscription for this, rather than buy a new phone every 2 years.

[AVee]

Re: How long is the software support?

They released Android 9 for the fairphone 2 when it was 5 years old, when it was first released it ran Android 5. See https://www.theregister.com/2020/06/18/fairphone_support_comment/ I'd say it would be hard to find something better when it comes to long term software support. That's part of the ethics of the company, they strive to make their phones last long and know software is a crucial part of that. It's rather impressive what they get done being a relatively small company.

And they are relatively open towards their hardware, making it a good target for community versions too. It also runs Sailfish for example.

[mwcer]

Waiting for USA availability...

Looks great, would love to have one -- unfortunately, only available in the EU.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Waiting for USA availability...

I just got a phone from China.

Short of technical issues such as incompatible data bands, or some weird creeping xenophobia, I fail to see how where a phone is sold is a serious barrier to you obtaining it.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Waiting for USA availability...

You must mean Europe.

I doubt the EU are selling gizmos and gadgets!

[Dan 55]

Re: Waiting for USA availability...

They only sell within the EEA, which I guess means they won't sell to the UK from next year.

[To Mars in Man Bras!]

Re: Waiting for USA availability...

>unfortunately, only available in the EU.

With American English software! So nobody gets what they want.

[C R Mudgeon]

"Fairphone *thinks its fair* to offer a not-very-major and slightly-more-recycled new model " [emphasis added]

I'm a big fan of El Reg's trademarked snark , but in this case it seems misplaced.

The improvements will be available as modules, so existing Fairphone 3 owners won't need to replace the entire phone. What's unfair about that?