Fairphone is a Dutch company with the aim of manufacturing smartphones that are sourced from fair labour and that can be repaired by the user to make them last. The Fairphones are a popular alternative to Apple and Samsung phones among the environmentally conscious user base. The devices can be opened with tools provided with the initial purchase and users can order spare parts and swap them out without professional help. The phones are also built with longevity in mind and arrive in eco-friendly packaging.
The second edition of Fairphone, the Fairphone 2, will no longer receive any software updates after the end of this month. Users will still be able to use their device normally, but over time security issues might limit certain functions, such as using banking apps, and limit the overall cybersafety of the Fairphone 2. Bugs that are still present at this time will also not be fixed going forward. Using the device in offline mode (flight mode) will avoid security problems.
Spare parts will be available to buy until they are sold out.
The Fairphone 2 has received 7 years of software updates since its launch, surpassing not only the expectations of Fairphone as a company, but also surpassing the product support timeframes of big competitors on the market. Apple and Samsung usually only offer five years of support for their products.
Anyone who sends their Fairphone 2 to Fairphone’s recycling programme before the end of March 2023 will get a 50 EUR voucher to use on the latest Fairphone, the Fairphone 4.
If you are interested in buying the Fairphone 4, you can do so via the official website.