my mum bought a fairphone 3 about 5 years ago and is extremely happy with it, so far she’s gone through one usb-c port and one battery. it looks and feels exactly like a normal phone but it pops open with just 4 screws. helping her fix it has taught me that phone manufacturers could make repairable phones easily and they all just choose not to
I used to run a small electronics repair business and you are 1 billion percent correct. Slowly watching things over the years become unrepairable was just such an obvious business decision for profit over customer satisfaction. There is absolutely no reason to make those changes unless you have a profit driven motive. So so so many electronics used to be like the fairphone your mom has. Pop it open, take out what’s broke, replace it with some OEM or 3rd party part you bought for like 2 dollars and you’re all set. It’s so frustrating nowadays with how purposefully difficult manufacturers make any repairability. Can’t even change a damn battery in your phone now! lol
I remember the glory days where my alarm would go off for school and I’d just take the battery out of my phone to get it to shut up
Man I remember when my Mom was actually able to fix a VCR at home with simple tools as well. That VCR lasted as long as sears repaired shops and then they were out of business and the VCR was out for good.
The situation won’t improve until some big company goes full “IBM PC” thing with open AT, ISA, VESA, etc tier standards for phones.
This phone is better just because you can open the case. Spare parts are still provided by a single company. Not a big step ahead.
Better than nothing though…
Better than Nothing though.
Nothing phone has a pretty average repairability score, so I’d assume so.
the wheels of justice turn slowly 🐌
As long as they aren’t preventing third party components, they can become the phone version of full “ibm pc”
Every purchase is additional incentive for thirty parties to enter the market.
If it supported GrapheneOS I would be using one too.
The choice of only supporting Pixels comes from GrapheneOS’s side, not Fairphone. Fairphone got some great ROMs support, and even have an official partnership with one of them (e/OS).
I love Fairphones, but GrapheneOS developers are very clear on why they son’t support phones other than Pixels. If other phones complied with those requirements, they would support them. I really hoped the OEM they’re working with to support from another brand would be Fairphone, but the most educated guess I’ve seen is Motorola
GrapheneOS developers are quite dickish about what they are willing to implement and how they treat their users. They work under the assumption that GrapheneOS is for people afraid of being hacked (like actively targeted by state level actors) and refuse to add anything that in their view compromises security. So for example they refuse to add pattern unlock because they think it’s less secure than PIN which is silly because I can just use ‘0000’ PIN which is as insecure as any pattern. It’s the same with supporting other phones. Personally I’m not worried about police trying to hack my phone, I just want deGoogled system with tracker protection. GrapheneOS devs don’t care. It’s all or nothing with them. I would recommend iode over Graphene to anyone not as paranoid as the devs.
They can be dickish about several things, but they will implement whatever they want, it’s their project LOL! They actually develop a mobile operating system for people afraid of being hacked, and with the utmost security in mind.
The thing with pattern unlock is that it is inherently less secure than the other options, despite the fact that you can use one of the other options in bad ways (like the ‘0000’ PIN). Expecting them to change this is using the lowest common denominator possible, which is against their philosophy.
You do have other options if you want to deGoogle, like LineageOS, that supports a much wider range of devices (altough the extent of deGoogling can be limited). It’s good we have one ROM (among others) with paranoid devs - we have more options
That’s exactly what I said. GrapheneOS devs target very specific group of users and most privacy focused users will be served better by other ROMs. They can do whatever they want but they clearly don’t care about wider community and I think wider community shouldn’t care about them as much as it does.
The thing with pattern unlock is that it is inherently less secure than the other options
Does Graphene scramble the keypad between PIN entries? If not, it’s functionally the same as a pattern unlock.
It gives you the option to
That’s good then. A lot of stuff uses the standard numberpad.
Yes but also no, the fairphone doesn’t meet the extensive list of requirements required to maintain the goal of GrapheneOS - List of requirements for devices
Some of those requirements are really hard to get for non-Google devices. EOM don’t get updates as early as Google engineers gets. It takes time to validate everything, especially since their don’t control their own hardware.
Those requirements are more a way to not appear like dicks by telling that they’ll only supports Pixels.
I know that. So I stand corrected that I should have written “If it were supported by GrapheneOS…”
Doesn’t change, that its a show stopper for me, though.
That’s fair. We all have our needs, and I find mine in Fairphone + e/OS, which is nice. And when I upgrade, I get to give my parents an almost new, still supported phone, which is nice.
every post about fairphone, there’s always one comment like this
I’m running e/os on my FP6 and it’s a great de googled alternative!
/e/ os is not degoogled
How is it not degoogled?
Calls home to Google constantly ootb https://eylenburg.github.io/android_comparison.htm
Where does it say that specifically? The table is not mobile friendly.
According to e/os themselves, it is degoogled…
Where does it say that specifically?
See the row labeled “degoogling”
According to e/os themselves, it is degoogled…
Sorry but they are liars. The only truly degoogled android OSs are GrapheneOS and the experimental mobile linux ones.
I really wish these alternative OSs were more truthful in how they portray themselves. They might not be terrible options for certain people and they might have good intentions but the dishonesty really leaves a bad taste in my mouth. There are so many who are misled.
I’m using GrapheneOS on a Pixel 7a which I bought just to flash it. Google Android just ran on it for the obligatory update before the flashing. It’s just very secure and that’s what I like about it. I’m not so sure about /e/ even though it’s being supported by semi prominent people here in DACH.
For me any concerns about e/os are overshadowed by buying one of the most sustainable and “ethical” phones there are currently available, and not supporting google.
By using /e/ os you are supporting google because /e/ os is not degoogled
Buying a Pixel isn’t automatically supporting Google. You can get them secondhand.
You’re indirectly helping Google though. If the second hand market is better for Pixels than other devices because of Graphene, then people are more willing to buy Pixels, so Google sells more of them.
Exactly this!
The secondhand market for GrapheneOS users is a fraction of a fraction of Google’s overall Pixel sales. Saying you’re supporting Google by using GrapheneOS is a stretch even by the loosest definition and only serves to detract from literally the best OS you can use for privacy and security.
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I want GrapheneOS more than repairability, personally. I hope the Fairphone + GrapheneOS combination is possible some day…
What maskes you want Graphene over e/OS? I’m not so familiar with how they feel.
Graphene modifies AOSP for much more security.
E.g.
- you can disable USB data at a hardware level
- Receives Kernel updates even faster than Google’s phones
- uses a different memory allocator, hardened_malloc
- changes the way zygote launches apps, so ASLR actually works
- doesn’t allow apps to ptrace themselves
- disables JIT per-app
- disable network access per-app
I dont think e/OS is as security oriented, more privacy oriented
Thanks for sharing. For someone who is not so well versed in these technicalities, what does that mean for the user? That you’re more susceptible to fraud and hacking and malware?
A big thing is gOS not using JIT compiling. So, app updates are pretty slow but this kills a lot of malware exploits.
So if I were to choose graphene over eOS it would mainly be to be more protected from malware?
You would choose it for security hardening in general. E.g. it is harder for malware to infect, harder for unauthorized parties to gain access to data when the phone is locked, etc.
That and privacy, you also have a lot of control over what each app can do with gOS’s permissions settings vs standard ROM and most of that is enabled by default. Can break some apps, especially banking related. I have 122 installed, of that three gave me a little bit of trouble where I had to disable some protections to get them functional. DeGoogled by default, I use microG for some limited Play services to get stuff like Youtube Revanced working.
Basically GrapheneOS is for people worried about law enforcement or some state actors trying to access their phone using some commercial tools or 0 day exploits. It’s useful for journalist, lawyers, activists and so on.
Average users don’t really have to worry about those things. It’s unlikely that someone will try to hack you using such tools, you most probably don’t have any data wort protecting and it’s quicker and easier for you to just unlock your phone than to spend days/weeks/months in jail trying to protect your data.
What average user should care about is removing Google from their phones and blocking trackers. Other ROMs like iode also come without Google and have better tools than GrapheneOS for blocking trackers. They are as secure as any other Android phone.
Fairphone is the sort of phone for people who think LineageOS with an unlocked bootloader is secure made by a company who has sincerely promised to make things better but hasn’t substantially improved security (especially in how often they push security patches). Grapheneos is not a brand name you can just apply to give a phone more reputation, its an OS that represents the highest standard of security.
It all boils down to drivers, if those are not open source (and they usually are not), then phone upgradability depends on them
That said, I like FP very much, but it’ll eventually hit the software block.
I recently moved from an iPhone 11 Pro to a Fairphone (Fairphone Gen 6), and it’s been a genuinely great change.
It’s made me realise how little I actually use most of the features you end up paying extra for in flagship phones. Because of that, I’m really looking forward to keeping this device for five years or more.
The only thing I occasionally miss is camera quality especially at concerts or when travelling but it’s a small trade-off rather than a deal-breaker. I’d love to see future Fairphone models improve on this.
Hopefully, Fairphone helps set a trend as more people start looking for products that are ethically sourced, repairable and built to last.
Ya I just want to browse , bank, text and msg and call.
Still running a FP4, only replaced the battery and the charging port. No further issues, works like a charm.
Love that, can’t wait to rock the FP6 for as long as possible!
I asked someone else, but I hope you don’t mind me asking you as well… With the FP6, 5g works as well? Any issues with MMS or RCS messages? Visual voicemail works fine?
I am trying to find a new phone, and while there are a few different companies making repairable phones, (Fair phone, HMD, shift) most of them are aimed at EU markets, so I want to make sure that a majority of the features also work in the US. My goal it’s to find something that will work for me, my wife and my in laws that won’t be a hassle. (Because, I do the tech support for all of them, and ideally I’d love to support just 1 device)
Ask away, I have no issue with anything you mentioned inside The Netherlands so I assume the majority of the features would work in the US as well. As they promise a good working phone in the regions they sell. (To keep in mind i do run android not e/os/!)
Do they work on US networks?
Yup! I daily drive a Fairphone 6 with Mint Mobile in the US.
Awesome! And just to clarify, 5g works as well? Any issues with MMS or RCS messages? Visual voicemail works?
I ask because I am actively looking for a replacement for my 4a, it really is at its end of life at this point.
I was also considering some Nokia/HMD phones,as they made good scores on the ifixit repairability scale. Apparently HMD (who actually make Nokia phones) has a whole line of phones where their goal was modularity/repairability. It’s just been unclear which of these phones actually work on US networks.
There’s also shift phones out of Germany, but same deal, will they work on US networks?
I’m guessing the EU has some incentive programs to help these phones exist, but as a result, they’re mostly aimed at EU markets and networks.
Yeah, 5G works (I’m on it at the moment!). No issues with MMS, but I haven’t tested RCS since I’m on /e/OS (which doesn’t support RCS as far as I’m aware - I just use SMS/MMS and Matrix). The visual voicemail functionality in the stock /e/OS Phone app doesn’t work with Mint Mobile, but the T-Mobile Visual Voicemail app does work.
I’ve been running a Fairphone 6 for about 6 months now and it’s by far the buggiest phone I’ve ever used. I’d love to keep using it until the security updates stop but it’s already such a miserable experience already I can’t imagine how bad it’ll be in a few years time.
It’s been fine for me
I bought a Fairphone 5 when they were somewhat new and immediately flashed an alternative ROM onto it (CalyxOS at the time, though now it’s iodeOS as Calyx appears to have gone on hiatus).
Nothing terrible bug-wise, but I have already had to return the phone to be repaired for a fault I couldn’t repair by swapping parts out myself… Which considering it’s apparently got a number of years ahead of it before it officially gets dropped is a bit worrying.
Seriously? Like what did you put on it? I love mine. I basically removed MicroG and kept the basic ecosystem. Got Fdroid. Replaced voice recorder, calendar, call app with Fossify. Put an RSS feed on with Lemmy app, Peer tube, Searchix, and Tuta. Absolutely zero issues. You need to disable the MicroG call home though. Can you reset to factory and just use trusted apps?
If you’re miserable, then something is wrong.
I don’t have MicroG I’m just using the stock ROM with Play Services. I too replaced most the default apps with foss options with Fossify being a big chunk of them. It’s not the apps that are the issue, it’s the Fairphone software.
Since my original comment I’ve already bought a second hand Galaxy S25 Edge as I haven’t tried Samsung since the Galaxy S3. Not exactly the privacy focused experience I’d ideally like but the Fairphone is becoming unusable after only 3 months. There’s no way I’d be using it in 7 years.
I have had mine 3 months. Never going back. Samsung has a partnership with Google. They take all your data and.call home a lot. Start monitoring through NextDNS and start blocking the domains and you’ll see. I’d just reset.or reinstall and try again. Something sounds off.
I’ve already tried a reset and the issues persist. I’ve just lost faith with Fairphone. I took a photo yesterday, the preview in the camera app shows a photo has been taken. If i click the preview I get a “failed to load media” warning and if I open the gallery app or file manager the photo is nowhere to be seen. This simply isn’t good enough. They’ve been well known for buggy software all over the internet so I’m not entirely surprised.
If you get to where you want to sell it, let me know. I just might be interested if it’s on a good day.
Has anyone tried loading KDE Plasma Mobile onto one of these?
The Fairphone team has tried to help with mainline Linux support: https://wiki.postmarketos.org/wiki/Fairphone_(Gen._6)_(fairphone-fp6)
Is plasma mobile any good?
I haven’t had a chance to try it, myself, but the developments on their site looks promising. I’ve heard it’s pretty functional, but it’s lacking in battery optimization, and compatible devices.
I really value the camera on my phone, since it is essentially my main camera and I enjoy taking pictures. I might rather lean into graphene-ing this pixel than a fair phone, unfortunately. But probably not purchase a future pixel, since they abandoned the physical SIM slot
My 9 has one. (Canada)
Same, my 9 (us) does too. But I heard going forward they want to be eSIM only
*in the US
I replaced the power button and battery on my android phone. Managed to fix it by watching YouTube tutorials.
I am leaning toward Fairphone to replace my Apple.
Well they finally delivered a decent camera. That’s what made me buy one. It’s a step down from a Pixel 8 Pro but not a huge one.
I will have to consider Fairphone when I am looking for my next phone. Looking at their site, my only hesitation is about water resistance. I understand that repairability comes at the cost of making everything glued and sealed shut, but I drop my phone in water once every couple of years. If that risks killing it, it is not going to be a phone that will last long in my hands.
Have you considered not dropping your phone in water?
Hard to avoid when you have a toddler and dog bowls around…
Is it?
I feel like people have had toddlers and dog bowls for a long time, and that people in the past have been ableto keep certain things away from water successfully. Perhaps if you have increased opportunities to get the phone wet, you should take extra precautions.
I have, but decided against it. I am clumsy and my hands are big enough to barely use my phone one handed (but not hold it securely when I do).
With an IP55 rating, I would assume it can resist a drop in water. As long as you don’t stare at it for multiple minutes and do get it out asap.
I would hope, but I would want to check reviews to be sure.
It’s got a rating. Not sure if water resistant or proof. They didnplan for it to be in rainy environments. Also, phone is modular and repairable by design.
It is rated as water resistant, capable of withstanding a jet of water.
Repairability depends on what breaks. If water getting into the phone fries the CPU, it does not seem fixable. Glancing at the site, I could not find a part on sale, probably because the cost of a replacement part would cost almost as much as replacing the phone.
I assume they just haven’tspent the money for higher IPS ratings?
I like the look of these but I would much rather to not use Android again. It appears that they’re trying to port Ubuntu Touch over and the Postmarket wiki shows some functionality is not all there. Interesting to see this coming along though.
I have no complaints. Went from Samsung S25 Ultra to FF6.
I 100% agree with the fact that there needs to be more phones you can easily fix but every time I see a headline like “I need a phone I can fix” I can’t help but think that y’all are incredibly clumsy and keep breaking your phones far too often 😅
No… You need a phone you can fix if you don’t break your phones all the time. That’s how you use the same phone for 6 years, like my pixel 4a. I haven’t upgraded to another pixel because the newer ones all have some deal breaker, no SD card slot, or a non removable battery, or no 3.5 mm headphone port.
But if you keep a phone for 6 years, they need maintenance. A speaker stops working, the battery life drops to nothing, the touch screen digitizer fails, etc. And then you need to be able to open it up.
Agreed on all counts. Also, I truly miss my 4a. I kept it for nearly 5 years until Google killed it’s utility with that update despite claiming that my IMEI was excluded by the battery issue/payout offer.
That is actually a very fair point!
The battery is the first thing that tends to fail for me.
My phone is a few years old now and recently I wet it down on the inductive charger overnight and missed, so when I woke up it was at 20% battery. I decided that I’d let the battery drain to 0 before charging it, because AFAIK it’s still true that it’s good to do that occasionally so the battery management software can recalibrate things. So I used it for a few minutes and it very quickly dropped to 9% battery, and then it hung out there for like 10 minutes without moving. I gave up on actively using it to drain the battery and just put on a YouTube live stream and put the phone down. Eventually it moved past 9% battery and slowly drained down to 1%. And at 1% it lasted at least another half an hour just sitting there playing full screen video.
From my experience with previous phones, there’s a chance that the battery management software might be able to tune things so that it is more predictable. But, if I’m unlucky it’s already in its death spiral. It’s a shame because it’s still a fairly decent phone. I might want to upgrade anyhow, but it sucks that once the battery goes bad the phone is almost e-Waste. I’ve used a local guy who does repairs to change the battery in a tablet a few years ago, and it went from having horrible battery life to having good-as-new battery life. But, while the battery is still decent on it, the model is so old it’s no longer getting any software updates, which means a lot of apps simply won’t run on it. So, even if I replace the battery in this phone, it’s getting more and more useless by the day.
If I could load another OS on it, I could find a use for it. I have headless computers and it would be great if this could be a temporary screen / keyboard for those. It could be a dedicated bike computer. I could use its camera and monitor 3d prints. But, none of that is possible if the manufacturer says that it’s too old for them to bother with and their app store no longer has apps for it.
I have gone through 2 batteries and a usb port instead of three phones
