The Fairphone 5 is less about what comes in the box and more about what you get over the years
The Fairphone 5 is less about what comes in the box and more about what you get over the years
I might get flack for this but I despise them for their greenwashing. removing the headphone jack to sell their own Bluetooth headphones was mmmmmmh move at best.
I despise people repeating comments. How is making the device cheaper, more sustainable, and more reliable greenwashing? I would love anybody who just loves complaining about the headphones jack to explain that. No one else has. I doubt anybody complaining really cares about the environment either. What phone do you currently have?
How is removing the jack making the device more sustainable or reliable?
The usual argument is "FP5 bad because no headphone jack, I choose Nokia or Samsung"... I guess if you're not even trying to have a fair and sustainable supply chain, that's totally fine.
If I'm gonna focus on the headphone jack then I could simply say that it's already a cheap and reliable part that provides better quality sound that Bluetooth most of the time. Wired headphones are also way cheaper to buy and in my experience easier to fix. the Bluetooth earphones when their battery starts dying down or gets damaged will be thrown away and create more waste.
Wether this company IMHO is greenwashing OR the competition on the mobile segment is just too great and I want to believe the latter.
I think that the phone is also way too expensive, yes the phone is repairable but the components are still quite expensive to replace (although very easy to do so).
Fairphone has made too many faux pas with this one.
As for my phone, I am not a reference in that matter I upgraded to a zenfone 10 that I intend to keep for 4 years (until no more security updates). the phone cannot get it's bootloader unlocked but I'm not going to dive into that at this point. A small phone with a decent headphone jack with latest specs and big amount of storage.
I am in Asia and I had a degoogled phone but it's extremely hard and inconvenient most of the time (even with microg). so anyway just to say I won't be tinkering with the phone just using open source apps as much as possible.
Did they mention warranty for the headphones?
I agree removing the headphone jack is annoying, but I'm sure the Bluetooth works with any device that supports the format, not just theirs. Apple tries to push Apple stuff and they know their stupid user base will buy the Apple version if they have it, but I doubt the same is true here. If they had a wired and wireless headphone, would you suspect them to be trying to force you to buy their headphones still with the 5mm jack?
The main thing about Fairphone is not the phone but the supply chain.
https://www.fairphone.com/en/impact/
Nothing is perfect and a phone cannot make happy every one (is there a jack or not ...). But I'm happy that they try to make a good phone with all the hidden things in mind (from where come from the rough material, who is making the pieces and in which conditions ...). That's more important for me then the final product.
Yeah when I need to get a new phone I'm 100% getting a FairPhone. My last phone lived for multiple years past the security updates. All my phones over the years have died to some trivial problem that wasn't worth fixing (e.g. bad charging port). But a fixable phone with eight years of security updates? Sign me the fuck up. The only reason my current phone isn't a FairPhone is because they didn't sell in the US when I needed a new one.
I'm contemplating getting the fairphone 5. The usb c port on my last few phones were getting very loose at the end of the use. Making it a hassle using it in my car. One steep curve, and the phone slides making the connection get loose.
If I get the fairphone 5 I will immediately get a USB c replacement for future proofing.
It's annoying charging my phone at night and waking up to an almost empty phone because the cable got loose when I set it on my bedside table.
I had to replace the USB C port on my Fairphone 3, took about €30 and 10 minutes.
In any other phone it would've meant getting a complete new device
It's actually surprisingly easy to do on a OnePlus 5T. I did it after cleaning out the port wasn't good enough anymore (my phone was bought secondhand/refurb, and I also recently replaced the battery too . - overall the cost of both endeavours including the cheapo kit to get the thing open in the first place was on the order of £25, though I did lose the two screws for the USB port that connext it to the bottom, still works fine with the other two internal screws though 🤣).
Eventually secondhand parts will stop being available on ebay, but for now its all good ;p. Though if your screen breaks it's probably not worth it to replace, that part alone seems to be half the secondhand-price of a lot of phones all on it's own >.<
I have replaced a micro usb port on an old phone before. But because it's hard soldered it takes a lot of effort and time. I wouldn't want to try that with usb c because it has way more leads.
Meh, I could replace entire bottom board on my Xiaomi Mi4 in about 10 minutes. Way back in 2014, best phone I've ever owned.
Some devices have the port on the mobo. I canonly think ione I've owned like this.
All my other phones it's been replaceable.
Probably not your problem, but my completely different phone (oneplus 7 pro)has been pretty solid. But, lint and dust gathered into the port, making some of the plugs extremely loose to the point it would fall out from the weight of the cable... I took a needle and scraped out the compacted lint at the bottom. (avoiding touching the middle thing in the port. Good as new afterwards, even the one cable I've been using with the phone since 2019 which is pretty loose after use now, still sits without problems when moving the phone around.
But I'd definitely suggest cleaning it out if you haven't. Even the small specs you get out makes a big difference. My powerbank came wouldn't stay in, after cleaning it's more well behaved. But there's a clear difference in USB-c plugs and how they fit phones.
use a toothpick so you can't short anything
Thanks, I have a oneplus 7T and I have been cleaning it. It's just very loose now. Been scraping the harder to clean parts with a toothpick, and the rest with a toothbrush. It just isn't working for me. Might have to try a needle now.
Had that issue before, annoying as fuck. My latest one has a case with a small cap for the USBC port. Eliminated the problem. Love it.
These comments remind me about how when you try to do something great, the vast majority of the feedback will be from people who were never going to buy into your idea in the first place. The fact that they're on version 5 tells me there's demand for an ethically sourced, user-repairable phone with a long support life. Go start your own phone company if you don't like it.
I really wanted to get this phone, but at 850Eur that's a hard pass from me. I could let the lack of jack and FM radio slide, as well as some design choices that they made, as sacrifices need to be made to make it modular. But I can find that hardware in phones that cost a quarter of a Fairphone. And then there is the repair cost, where the parts cost almost twice as much as getting a non-fair phone repaired at a shop (even moreso if I were to use aliexpress parts and home repair). Again, I fully expect a repairable and fair-source phone to perform worse than a regular one, but this is like paying iPhone money for a Xiaomi midranger. Also, the 8 year warrranty feels like a scam because the chip they use will be out of production in 4-5 years.
Of course it's more expensive than other phones with similar specifications.
The main point here isn't to be fair to consumers by allowing them to repair their phones and giving them upgrades. The main point is to create a phone that is paying living wages to those producing it, and uses as many recycled minerals as possible and seeks to not be an absolute disaster for the planet.
If people stopped a while to wonder why their smaprtphoens are so goddamn cheap, I think people would be lining up to pay more for them. It's not even remotely sustainable.
I've been corrected on the price - looks like I was using an older quote.
I do realize that their point is to make the phone's manufacturing process fairer, but their older models were more decently priced, so I wonder how much of that tag is actually due the higher cost of manufacturing.
Still, since people switch phones a lot earlier than EoL, it would be nice if there was a way to discourage the frequent switching ( for marginal performance gains ) and instead encourage keeping smartphones until EoL ( which, granted, for some manufacturers is less than 2 years )
Are we using different websites? It's 700 euro for me, not 850. Also it's 5 year warranty and 8 years of updates.
Yeah, just noticed the new price. It's not available in my country yet so I was quoting the one listed on gsmarena. At 700Eur it does make more sense, as it's a similar price to the old Fairphone in 8gb guise.
Where's the headphone jack?
god I wish these were sold outside europe so I could get my hands on one
The Fairphone 4 did eventually make it to the US, so I'm hopeful that we'll eventually get the 5 too. According to GSMArena it already supports the necessary LTE/5G bands for my US network.
This post has devolved into shit and filled with a bunch of whiners complaining about the same dumb shit that isn't a goal of this phone. Might as well whine the new iPhone doesn't cost under $400 for as reasonable of a complaint anything on this post is.
The only reason i don't buy it is because it's too big. Particularly for a phone i would commit to for a longer lifespan, the physical design needs to be without compromise, and i know that the moment someone releases a half-way decent mini Android phone, i will drop whatever phone i have and buy that instead.
I fear you'll be waiting a long time.
I fear that too. But so long as my current phone holds out, there's no point buying into another compromise upfront.
So... The Asus Zenfone 10?
I had a Zenfone 6. It got a whopping 1 software update. It is otherwise a very nice-looking phone but that is unacceptable. And to my knowledge they haven't committed to anything more than that.
That's the same size as an iPhone 15 or Galaxy S23, not "mini".
We ever figure out if this can be unlocked? I know it was then it wasn't, etc.
I think Sony still releases decent small phones
The smallest I've seen Sony recently releasing was the Xperia 5 V, which is 6.1". Similar to iPhone 15, S23, ZenFone and Pixel 8, just i think taller and narrower. I tried it in person, but it still felt 'big'.
I already struggle with the keyboard on what I'd call a sizeable Android phone.
Luckily if you are looking for an even larger phone for a scaled up keyboard, you have plenty of options. I don't have the same struggle with the keyboard, and would happily use a 4" screen phone if one were available.
Occasionally sluggish performance
Wonder how it will be in 5 years. Personally think you'd be better of buying high end now and keeping it longer. Also I never had any component fail on my Samsung devices (except screen but that was self inflicted and the repair prices of samsung are more than fair). Same with iPhones, they are way more durable than fairphones.
I don't know of any high end Android phone manufacturer that promises security updates for >5 years. If you want to keep your phone that long or even longer, there are few choices unless you want to be vulnerable.
Also, I have no idea what exactly "more durable" is supposed to mean, but I'm very much certain that Apple's and Samsung's batteries degrade the same and their screens also crack when dropped. A replacement part and the repair will be significantly cheaper with FairPhone, especially for people who don't want or dare to do it themselves because of anti-repair measures by the manufacturers.
For reference, a replacement screen for FP5 costs 100€ and comes with straightforward instructions from the manufacturer. An Apple screen replacement will cost you 340€ and there are no official ways to get replacement parts or do the repair yourself. You have to pay half a FP5's worth just for an iPhone screen repair.
Edit: Spelling correction
Samsung and Google promise 5 years of updates. Google is said to provide more with the pixel 8.
Samsung charges 140 to 175 € for a repair on the s23. While almost twice as much as the fairphone, I still think its fair. I have to agree that what apple charges is way to much but that's how it is.
As for durable I meant no random hardware fails. They are incredibly long lasting. My galaxy s4 and s6 still work to this day.
Sceurity updates shmecurity updates. How many stories of someone bank account being robbed through old android vunerbality have you heard about. Im not saying they are worthelss beacuse Obviusly its better to be secured than not but they really shouldnt be a factor when choosing whetewer to buy a new phone or keep using old one. Especialy if you are like a year behind or something similar.
Yep, still use my S10e which is almost 5 years old. Still as perfect as day 1. Not sure what to buy next, as small and as durable as this one...
I still use my Note 9 from time to time and it's extremely responsive. The only thing I notice is the low refresh rate of the screen.
@redditReallySucks imo, as long as Google Play Services gets updated on your device, you shouldn't have many issues. E.g. check how backwards compatible are apps on Android
Wish it had a jack
I don't see the big deal about headphone jacks. If you really want wired headphones, stick a dongle on the end of the cable and leave it there. It's almost exactly the same, except you can't charge and listen at the same time - not really something I would worry about.
Do custom ROMs such as Lineage and Postmarket OS support the fairphone 5 though?
Murena is selling the Fairphone 5 with the Lineage-based /e/OS already: https://e.foundation/leaving-apple-google-murena-fairphone-5-is-here-welcome-e-os-1-14-join-the-photo-contest-e-os-2023/
Postmarketos boots on fp5 but lots if things are not yet working. I think, the main contributor is a Fairphone employee https://wiki.postmarketos.org/wiki/Fairphone_5_(fairphone-fp5) I can't find LineageOS development progress, but Murena look like they will be selling the fp5 with e/os which is customised LineageOS, so its probably making progress.
E OS does
I forget, bargaining is which stage of grief?
wasn't it the 2nd?
My last fairphone died of a busted motherboard, which wasn't replacable. Since then I am kinda sceptical about the "repairable" part.
The only thing that makes me cautious about this phone is the CPU. Will it still be performant in 5+ years?
I'm still rocking a 2017 phone, courtesy of lineage.
People are shocked how fast it is, not because it's old (they don't know), but because it's faster than anything they have.
Bloat, apps running for no reason, really slow a phone down.
If you use your phone like 99% of people do, it will be completely fine. If you don't do gaming or 4K video editing on your phone, there's no problem. The CPU will even be fine for Instagram face filters for the foreseeable future
I ordered the FP5 after using my OnePlus 3T for nearly 7 years, so I imagine it'll be OK on that front, given I'm switching only due to issues with the USB port and power button.
YMMV but for regular users it should be fine.
Not sure how the CPU compares, but I'm still running a Pixel 2 XL and the only real issue I have is the lack of RAM. CPU speed is no issue here.
Oh yay, a roadmap. For a hardware device....
Have you ever heard the terms "security update", "firmware" and "OS"? Then you should know why a "roadmap" or rather a support plan is necessary. Many other manufacturers aren't even providing concrete plans and simply stop providing security updates after just a few years.
Weird. I could have sworn software comes on it too. Your phone doesn't have software?
C'mon US launch, never have I so badly wanted a phone in the States
This is the best summary I could come up with:
There are those who are happy to be in the market for a new device, who delight in discovering how phones have improved since they last upgraded and who can’t wait to reap the benefits of better low-light camera performance, a prettier display, and more premium build quality.
They’re the people who respond with despair when they’re told that their phone has reached the end of its software support period or that it’s no longer cost-effective to repair a seemingly minor hardware fault.
But now the phone comes equipped with technological advancements such as a modern OLED display with a high refresh rate, more robust waterproofing, and a higher-capacity battery.
To that end, there are actually more individually accessible modules this time around, which is nice if you, say, only need to replace one rear camera that’s broken or swap out a faulty SIM card tray.
That’s better than the IP54 rating of the Fairphone 4 (which was still resilient enough for me to use throughout an exceptionally rainy hike), but it still falls short of allowing you to fully immerse the device in water like you can do with an IP68-rated phone.
In low light, the phone produces superficially nice shots, but peer a little closer, and it looks like this is the work of aggressive processing, with a lot of fine detail smoothed out and colors artificially boosted.
The original article contains 1,968 words, the summary contains 230 words. Saved 88%. I'm a bot and I'm open source!
Why is it the price of an iPhone in Vietnam? Is it normal? I'd rather afford a PS5 with PSVR2 for the same price???
Because everyone in the supply chain is being paid a fair wage and not being exploited.
They could have used a similar design like LG G3 instead of having to remove battery to access Sim/sd card
The fairphone is a bad deal. There is not way around that.
Based on what? Cost? The whole premise is sustainability and ensuring the people who build it aren't working sweatshop workers like with every other major phone. I say this knowing full well I'm using one of those phones but Fairphone has only recently become available in my country.
So it depends on if you want a bad deal by parting with some extra dollars or it's a bad deal for the workers that are getting exploited so you save a few dollars.
I could care less about that. So for me its a bad deal
American moment
If you're considering buying one you might want to take into account that they removed the headphone jack so they can sell their own wireless buds and headphones.
I care less about the lack of a headphone jack and more about the lack of multiple ports
USB C is genuinely a great multiport, but all of these companies leave the phone with one port. People would care less if each phone had two ports, so you could plug in headphones via adapter while also charging
There are actually dongles which have both an audio jack and a USB c port. I never used one of those dongles though
The lack of headphone jack is the sole reason I went with Samsung XCover 6Pro instead. Shame really, because I'm the kind of person who uses their device for +5 years, and prefer fixing stuff myself, but when Apple removed the headphone jack I made a decision to never buy a device without one if there's an alternative with it and I'm still sticking with that. I bought an "outdated" laptop aswell because the newer model didn't have USB-A, HDMI or a card reader. Ironically the most recent models now do.
Not really ironic. They're all just copying whatever Apple does, and they backtracked on that stupid decision.
you mean this strange old socket that is (at least for me) primarily used for collecting dust since almost a decade? yeah, personally I can live without it.
and this fortunately is not apple. You can use every brand of earbud and use all of the features, so I don't really get your point at all. the phone is very good and I hope I will be able to use it until the 30s
Having a headphone jack will let you use any kind of headphone produced in the last 50 years, which has a 3.5mm jack. Also, while listening to music you could also charge your phone, if you choose to, but not with a USB-C only port. Furthermore, USB-C DACs are stupid, they are an annoyance, even the ones with the shortest cables - I broke three of them in two months because they're idiotically designed and they don't fold in my pocket - a thing that never happened with headphone cables.
Two years in and providing a USB-C adapter my wife is still complaining that her current phone doesn't have a headphone jack.
For my daughter I selected the phone mostly for repairability combined with colour choice, which landed me with Nokia - which ended up having a headphone jack. Didn't pay attention to that, but she's happy it is there.
Out of curiosity, what features are restricted on iPhones for off-brand earbuds?
Tell me a pair of wireless headphones that are as good and around the same price as the moondrop Aria's with extremely low latency (so they can be used for rhythm games) and can buy a replacement case for not too much.
Also Bluetooth's audio quality is terrible when also using the microphone at the same time. So you can't really make a call and enjoy listening to music at the same time
I always plug in my car stereo to that old socket in my car...
That was one of the main reasons I was interested in their phones :/
I miss that modular phone people went crazy about for a week or 2 until it died out
Google bought and killed it
I just keep a USB c dongle permanently attached to my wired headphones, I forget it's there. It adds like 1" to the overall cable length. I basically just converted all my wired headphones into USB c headphones.
Any evidence for that theory? I guess I've used Bluetooth hesdphones for years, so I've not got skin in the game. Lots of android devices seem to not have a headphone jack. And each part removed is one less part to pay for, or replace, or have to water proof. I've not looked into it because I'm happy to trade sound quality for wireless convienece, but umarent headphones that use the usb c port comparable in quality to 3.5mm?
But if there's a leaked memo or something that it was a concerted plan by the company that would certainly be bad.
I mean, I don't know their other practices, but the removal of the headphone jack is hardly green washing. I'd bet it actually is more sustainable to not include it tbh, plus it is likely more affordable. Beyond that, with just looking into it, as I expected, they're a more sustainable and repairable set of headphones compared to the rest of the market. Moreover, I highly doubt dropping the jack would drive folks to decide to buy these if they weren't already. They're not tiny earbuds. They're over the ear which is generally something folks buy when they actually are looking for them.
Sometimes accelerated progress can lead to waste, but holding onto legacy tech for too long can also lead to waste.
Also, it doesn't feature a serial port. This phone is almost useless. /s
Yeah I think so too
Is this a fair argument in 2023 with all the options for wireless headphones/buds? I feel like it still sucks because you can't use your dollar store wired sets, but there are enough cheap raycon clones out now that it's hardly a guaranteed secondary sale at this point.
It's more about not being able to use existing high-end headphones and IEMs. It's wasteful and expensive to replace those.
There are workarounds of course, but it's never as nice as having a real headphone jack to work with.
I already have a good set of headphones. I don't want to buy new ones or adapters, especially when I can just buy a device that they can plug straight into
Tell me a pair of wireless headphones that are as good and around the same price as the moondrop Aria's with extremely low latency (so they can be used for rhythm games) and can buy a replacement case for not too much.
Also Raycons are trash. Like they're literally e-waste for how bad they are
Also Bluetooth's audio quality is terrible when also using the microphone at the same time. So you can't really make a call and enjoy listening to music at the same time
You can also buy a cheap USB C-to-headphone-jack adapter.
The main reason they did it is to get a higher water-proof rating, making it easier to last longer.
No one doesn't know that you can use an adapter. No one wants to carry that around. They cost money and you have to keep track of them. And you can't charge the phone and listen simultaneously.
They did not do it to improve waterproofing. We have had several phones over the course of decades that were both very water resistant and included headphone jacks, so you can just stop with that capitalist non-sense.
Please stop with water resistance nonsense. There were phones with headphone jacks that were waterproof.
Louis Rossman was very against this idea, and gotta say I side with him on this.