It seems that Fairphone will finally end the Fairphone 3 (and 3+) support in August after 7 years.
I am still using my FP3+ daily - the only thing that has gone wrong with it was that I wore out the USB connector with cheap charging cables… so a new bottom connector (and a spare battery, just in case) and I’m all good again…
… which means, I might not be buying another phone for another couple of years yet, let’s see if it’ll make 10 years with LineageOS, etc!
I’m sure there’s other phones still chugging along…
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While the Fairphone 3’s official journey comes to a close this year, we strongly encourage all Fairphone 3 owners to explore alternative operating systems. Much like we saw with the Fairphone 2, the open-source community provides incredible ways to keep your phone secure and functional for years to come. Switching to an alternative OS allows you to receive security patches and feature updates long after the official life cycle. Community-driven projects such as LineageOS (currently running Android 15),/e/OS (who will continue to support the Fairphone 3 for at least two years more), and postmarketOS are some projects you can look into. We will also be publishing all the development work we have done on Android 14, hoping this work will serve open source communities. By transitioning to an alternative OS, you’re helping us prove that hardware can, and should, last. That’s what Fairphone has all been about. That’s why we’re the one that lasts.
So the biggest risk is the software not being supported anymore and having to really on community maintainers.
Moving to community maintained OS/ROM is a good idea anyway due to Google closing down Android ecosystem.
Continuing to use an Android OS that has Play Store and Play Protect will probably mean loosing the ability to run a number of (OSS) apps distributed outside the play store.
That’s why we’re the one that lasts.
Is this the one with no 3.5mm jack so you need to get new ones every 6-12 months? No company can talk about e-waste superiority and still crutch on battery earbuds.
I have a Fairphone 3, and it definitely does have a headphone jack (unless there are other versions of it that don’t)
Yep, it has one… and… it’s replaceable in case it gets damaged, or the camera lens gets foggy.
https://www.fairphone.com/shop/fairphone-3-top-plus-module-39?category=4
new ones after every 6-12 month
My current wireless buds are 3 years old, almost used daylie and still running fine with good battery life etc. That’s much longer than any headphones with cable lasted for me and I always bought quality headphones. The wire always broke at some point.
On the other hand there’s more electronics and batteries inside wireless headphones so yeah…
( I still like the headphone jack and I’m sad that it’s almost gone )
I’ve (manually) disabled most of the google stuff anyway, so the only thing stopping me from changing the firmware is the hassle of reinstalling all the apps and data again…
Give it another year or so and I’ll get around to it…
The possibility to easily change the USB port definitely weight in the balance in favor of a fairphone when I picked a new phone.
Now two other members of my family have a fairphone 5 as well.
It was the replacable battery that originally convinced me to buy… I’d been using old Nokia’s previously and that “5 seconds to full charge” appeal of a 2nd battery was the tipping point for me.
What are You people doing with your phones? I don’t have the most recent phone and some active apps on and don’t run out until I am going to bed.
Don’t get me wrong, I am all for repairability but don’t really see the need for swappable. Unless privacy reasons of course.
It does depend on my day… sometimes I’m travelling, using route navigation whilst listening to my music over bluetooth all miles away from the nearest phone mast.
Sometimes I don’t leave the house…
A replacable battery is also smaller, cheaper and easier than a powerbank too. So it’s all win:win.
Repairability.
That’s not what I understand under repairable. A non swappable battery can be changed by opening the phone in a reasonably manner. If that is not possible then I don’t call it reparable.
Taking the back of and putting in a new battery on the fly is something else to me.
No, a non-swappable battery is most often soldered and glued, and the case is also not easily openable. Popping off the cover and swap the battery with another is a demonstration of repairability.
Depends on your use case.
I only buy phones that have a non soldered connection and the case can be (with reasonable effort) opened.
Yes, phones with a bad repairability score are shit. But a phone without a shell that can be easily opened doesnt necessarily mean that it has a bad repairability score.
As I said in other comments: it’s a matter of preference. For me the pros of a closed phone outweigh the cons. For you it obviously is different.
A non swappable battery can be changed by opening the phone in a reasonably manner.
I’d say having a swappable battery is way more reasonable, hence, more repairable.
Yes it’s convenient regarding fast switches.
It isn’t regarding dropping the phone (my shell always went flying)
Or waterproofing (extra ingress possibilities)
Or build optimization (extra structural components to hold the shell, hence more material and thickness)
But it’s a preference and it’s okay if You like it that way and the pros outweigh the cons. :)
I get your point.
I also get that non-removable tends to be the i’ll cling to this board with my life variant, involving weird shapes and lots of glue, so… perhaps a middle ground?
Looks like they are en par with Apple, if you ignore the occasional critical bug fix for way out of date iOS versions. https://iosref.com/ios
But unlike Apple you can still change individual parts like the USB connector and install custom open-source OS like Lineage and essentially have full support again.
You can change the USB-C port assembly on an iPhone in 109 easy steps ;) https://en.ifixit.com/Anleitung/iPhone+17+Pro+Max+USB-C+Port+Assembly+Replacement/206397?lang=en
But I get the appeal.
My phone released 10 years ago, runs fine idk lgtm, super fast with native apps but browser struggles unless I stop telegram and shit via the little dropdown (introduced Android 13). I don’t even use it as a phone lol, no SIM, just 2FA and osu!stream. I have a few backup phones (including 16 and 17 year old ones) in case I actually want the phone part of them; too bad I can’t chat on ICQ and download game demos on these anymore.
I hope they manage to restock the replacement displays before then. I have two FP3 at home with broken screens :/
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