# Fairphone 2 review



## LeslieB (Mar 1, 2016)

The Fairphone 2 is given a full review here.

Fairphone 2 review

It's a phone designed to overcome some of the usual issues with technology- the resources used, the way workers are treated and the disposability/non upgradability of the whole thing.

If you can't be arsed to read the view it basically says "it's not bad, the camera is a bit rubbish but otherwise it's OK, but you certainly pay a price premium for a clear conscience"


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## whackbangdeadly (Mar 1, 2016)

I like modular, it should have been the way to go decades ago, others have tried and failed with that.  Is it LG that have just brought out a phone where you can swap bits out/in?

Anyway, the attempt at sustainability is laudable


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## LeslieB (Mar 1, 2016)

whackbangdeadly said:


> I Is it LG that have just brought out a phone where you can swap bits out/in?



Yes they have. I also think it is a really good idea, especially as phone performance, features and screen size (all of which have been increasing over the years) begin to level off.


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## mauvais (Mar 1, 2016)

LeslieB said:


> Yes they have. I also think it is a really good idea, especially as phone performance, features and screen size (all of which have been increasing over the years) begin to level off.


Phone performance hasn't levelled off. Try and run contemporary Android (Marshmallow) on a three year old phone and you'll have a poor experience, just as you would have had trying the same three years ago, and very likely will again in three years from now.

So this thing will be just as obsolete in a few years, and you can't upgrade chipsets.

The ability to dismantle the thing addresses a very modern problem. For example the Galaxy S5 is two years old, had a removable battery and could be taken apart. It's only the popularity of sealed, unibody devices copying the Apple trend that put this out of reach.


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## skyscraper101 (Mar 1, 2016)

I read this as Failphone.


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## editor (Mar 1, 2016)

It's all a bit like compact cameras where improved sensors means that perfectly good zoom lens get lobbed away. Phones should have had some modularity included years ago.


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## LeslieB (Mar 1, 2016)

mauvais said:


> Phone performance hasn't levelled off.



Maybe not but once the proccessor can play smooth HD video and surf the web without a hint of lag  then have to ask how much more performance you really need...



> The ability to dismantle the thing addresses a very modern problem. For example the Galaxy S5 is two years old, had a removable battery and could be taken apart.


Not as easily as the fair phone though? It's true than the sealed unit trend is getting worse not better. ...


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## mauvais (Mar 1, 2016)

LeslieB said:


> Maybe not but once the proccessor can play smooth HD video and surf the web without a hint of lag  then have to ask how much more performance you really need...



It's a moving target. When you could play 640x480 videos on a phone from 2008, for example, you might have been inclined to ask how much more you really needed. Well now we have 1080p HD playback, and before long, ubiquitous 4K. And the web keeps getting more complex and people keep adding more demand, which they can, because the clients are keeping up. If you unilaterally decide that what you have is enough, all that happens is you get left behind.



LeslieB said:


> Not as easily as the fair phone though? It's true than the sealed unit trend is getting worse not better. ...



No, not as easily. You can still take the thing apart with a screwdriver though, and replace the camera with another part you got off eBay. And that's always going to be simple to acquire because they sold hundreds of millions of the things.

So I don't think it's that valuable a product. The proper sourcing of materials and labour is long overdue though.


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## chilango (Mar 2, 2016)

> You're also getting a phone that should last you a long, long time (five years, says Fairphone)



Which isn't_ that _long really. Even if true. Which I doubt.


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## hash tag (Jan 16, 2017)

My dear phone is starting to play up and I was drawn to one of these, damn expensive and memory is limited.
I see their website is stating order now for delivery by 31st May? I guess they may mean May 2016


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## teuchter (Jan 16, 2017)

hash tag said:


> My dear phone is starting to play up and I was drawn to one of these, damn expensive and memory is limited.
> I see their website is stating order now for delivery by 31st May? I guess they may mean May 2016


No, looks like they've sold out and they mean 2017.

Scaling up our social enterprise - challenges and achievements - Fairphone


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## hash tag (Jan 16, 2017)

Anyway, could give me time to save up and do more reasearch.


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## Enviro (Jan 16, 2017)

I looked into these but found that they weren't committed to ensuring that the latest (?) model will be able to run the latest version of Android - which is quite a security risk? 

I should factory reset my Galaxy S2 to see if I can get another year or two out of it before getting a new one if I'm really worried about sustainability, I suppose. Though I really like the idea of an all round more ethical and more sustainable device.


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## Almor (Aug 8, 2017)

Enviro said:


> I looked into these but found that they weren't committed to ensuring that the latest (?) model will be able to run the latest version of Android - which is quite a security risk?
> 
> I should factory reset my Galaxy S2 to see if I can get another year or two out of it before getting a new one if I'm really worried about sustainability, I suppose. Though I really like the idea of an all round more ethical and more sustainable device.


 
Support for the first fairphone has already been removed
Fairphone ends support for first repairable-by-design smartphone

My partner is interested in getting one and I like the idea but it's a bit dated already and they aren't able to guarantee parts or updates without new capital investment so it's not looking that sustainable
There are complaints about screen flicker and camera lag too, googling for video reviews to see if they show it but the first two so far are showing taking it apart, not in operation 
:-/


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## hash tag (Aug 24, 2018)

My partner is now thinking about a Fairphone. Looking at the website, they are still promoting Fairphone 2 with Android Marshallow 6.
The version of Android seems ok. The RAM doesn't appear brillaint.
Has anyone got any recent thoughts about this; is the fairphone due for upgrade soon does anyone know?


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## cybershot (Aug 24, 2018)

A fair few posts on another forum I use say Android 6 could be annoyingly unstable and could only be fixed by factory resets and 7 was a huge improvement. This was mainly for a rather specific use case however, so could be a pointless post. My current crappy £60 Android runs on 7.


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