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I'm loving the repairability of their phones, the ethical sourcing and build and the declared lifetime of 8 years of support for the new one but I'm wondering what people's actual experience is like in terms of lifetime. Does it start to just get to laggy after a couple of years or is 4 years realistic? I know that the phone itself won't slow down but the needs of software seems to just go up and up to the point that the phone just gets in the way. I'm not a power user and normally just get by with a lower end Motorola but I could be tempted if the lifetime is ok
I was looking at them but software support ultimately made the 5 a gamble (based on user experiences of the 4) I wasn't prepared to take. I ended up with a Pixel 8 with the same support life that, barring Google canning it, will actually see meaningful support rather than constantly being a version behind with an annoying bug list. It's also as repairable albeit not quite as simple as a screwed together case.
Of course you will likely have Lineage support as well so their own slow development isn't necessarily an issue.
What was your user experience of the 4 for how long the FF felt useable?
None, I just went off what folk were saying on the Android and Fairfone subreddits.
They might be repairable but I bought one and it's not upgradable, so actually hasn't got any longevity.
I really like the concept, and part of me thinks all phones should be made like this through legislation.
But....The fairphone 5 has an ip rating of 55. For context a Pixel 8 has a rating of 68. As a paddler and biker, being able to put my phone in my PFD or back pocket and know that as long I don't drop it into the unreachable watery depths or abandon it on a distant hill it will still be good to go is important to me. I can only assume that a phone that can be pulled apart that easily by an idiot sat at the kitchen table, normal sized phone dimensions and a better IP rating is an engineering feat too far currently.
A useful thread. I'm also considering a Fairphone 5 to replace my now not supported Pixel 3a.
I like the premise of the longer life and more ethical supply chain and am willing to take the hit of paying more up front that similarly performing phones would cost.
Looking for real world reviews on whether the longevity is actually there
The other point for me have just moved to ID Mobile is that they don't support WiFi calling on Fairphone but signal at home is poor for most networks.
Mate had one, not sure which model. He's an eco warrior, vegan Nazi.
After a year out two he capitulated and bought a cheap Samsung.
Fair phone are expensive for what they can do and matey said that not all parts were available.
Great concept, poor execution. If the likes of Samsung took on the concept of would change the market.
I like the premise of the longer life and more ethical supply chain and am willing to take the hit of paying more up front that similarly performing phones would cost.
That's where I am too.
My wife got a Fp 3 in November 2019. Hasn’t had any issues since, other than occasionally needing to turn it off and on if signal drops out.
That's great info, thanks
They might be repairable but I bought one and it’s not upgradable
Yes, but I think I expected that. It would be lovely if you could add a new motherboard etc but then I'm guessing the software maintenance gets really tough as you have too many options. I'd be happy if it stayed useable for 5 years and that is sounding likely.
Fair phone are expensive for what they can do
Very. It really isn't a choice made on cost or functionality.
At the risk of jinxing myself, I typically don't mechanically kill phones even though I keep them for more than 3 years.
What tends to be the issue is battery performance, some apps not being happy about outdated Android versions and the phone just becoming unstable.
My 3a will freeze with unresponsive buttons maybe once a week. I consider this my early warning and it's the reason I've started looking for an alternative
Okay, just found out that the Pixel 8 comes supported until 2030. Harder to repair than a Fairphone, but not unrepairable by any stretch.
Would actually give me the WiFi calling as well
Harder to repair than a Fairphone, but not unrepairable by any stretch.
Marginally more difficult, it's still pretty straightforward to repair most phones tbh.
Pixel 8 is a no brainer imo compared to a fairphone.
Harder to repair than a Fairphone, but not unrepairable by any stretch.
Agreed. Like you I rarely mechanically destroy things these days and I've replaced batteries and the screen on our iPad and other devices so the repairability isn't what I like as much as the whole idea of building a tech item with an ethical supply chain. I think I would struggle with the cost premium for something with only a 3 year life but if it is actually good for 5 or more then I'm in
Pixel 8 is a no brainer imo compared to a fairphone.
If it's a cost/performance question then you are completely correct but that's not what FairPhone is trying to do.
I'm currently using a Pixel 6. My plan is to upgrade to a Pixel 8, probably when the Pixel 9 comes along. That should be about the right point in the cost/longevity curve to be decent vfm and by purchasing a 2nd hand phone it'll also be better from a sustainability viewpoint.
by purchasing a 2nd hand phone it’ll also be better from a sustainability viewpoint
Is actually a very good point from the sustainability point of view. I would still love to be able to get something ethically sourced and built from day one and get a full good lifetime out of it. If that's the same full lifetime as a pixel then that's a winner. Vfm can also include how things are originally sourced and built, it's just a question of how much weight I'm willing to put on that part vs everything else
I liked the fair phone idea but they are very pricey.
I broke the screen on my nearly 3 year old Moto G8 so needed a new, not too expensive phone.
I've got a Nokia G42 partly as it claims longer software support than most phones and is making a point of selling repair parts through ifixit.
The moto was a bit of a gamble looking at the Internet for a new screen and at 34 months old and getting tired didn't seem worth risking the money on a possibly incorrect or substandard part.
Nokia G22 or G42 were the compromise options for me. All good 3 weeks in. Nokia seem to have reasonable sourcing and recycling policies too. Not as good as fairphone but better than most.
YMMV.
If it’s a cost/performance question then you are completely correct but that’s not what FairPhone is trying to do.
It's also repairability. Pixel is highly rated on iFixit as its easy to work on and parts availability is good.
Fairfone is doing a good thing, don't get me wrong, but there are a lot of compromises that don't stack up.
As for legislation, see the recent EU battery replacement regs, it's coming.
I know that the phone itself won’t slow down but the needs of software seems to just go up and up to the point that the phone just gets in the way.
It's out of their control really, websites use more and more JS every year, which means you need a more and more powerful phone to handle them. Likewise, image formats change eg my 13 year old MBP can't display .webp as that version of Safari doesn't know what they are...
I had a Fairphone 3. I wanted to like it for all the reasons above. Sadly it was unusable. There was a fault with the charging and the touchscreen randomly stopped working.
I think the phones was more susceptible to faults due to the fact that you needed to be able disassemble it so it relied on physical contact connections that were fragile rather than soldered connections.
Also, the camera was crap and I found myself with a phone rapidly reaching obsolesce that would never be able to catch up with never phone even in the unlikley event that Fairphone offered upgrades.
I have a pixel 6 and had to replace the battery after the original swelled up pushing the screen out.
I bought a new battery from iFixit along with one of their very comprehensive tool kits that cost about £6 or something daft.
I hate taking phones apart with memories of trying to fix my daughter's iPhone 4s.
In start contrast working on the pixel was something of a delight. I took my time and the result is excellent.
I have a fairphone 4 and bought it right when they brought that model out - it coincided with needing a new handset
it was a punt to a certain extent because I didn't do tons of research, I bought on principle.
It's a good phone and I've had no issues with it, although it's not a slim as a pixel and the chip will be the limiting factor if nothing else goes first, but it's running fine so far. Would I buy another? right now I don't know, if it proves to be rocksolid over time then would swing to be a yes. It helps that I dont give a monkeys about cameras
Apparently the camera is actually pretty decent, it's the software that lets it down. You can download alternatives, I think people use Samsung or Motorola.
Tbh you would be far better going to r/Fairfone and taking a look there. Not really many fanbois so you get a lot of objective views.
Tbh you would be far better going to r/Fairfone and taking a look there. Not really many fanbois so you get a lot of objective views.
Tx, will take a look. Also just got a message from a friend who had an early version for 6 years and only gave up at the point there were no more android updates and apps were starting to not work. I'm not too fussed about the camera although it would be nice if it wasn't too shit. I use a small dig camera when I know I'm going to be taking photos.
I suspect that's how they get a lot of their sales. I'm not knocking it, it's a noble idea, I just don't know in real terms how much better they actually are than Apple/Google in terms of sustainability, carbon neutrality etc. Obviously there's a huge compromise in terms of functionality if you need/want the latest & greatest, best camera etc.it was a punt to a certain extent because I didn’t do tons of research, I bought on principle.
the fact that's there's so many people keen to buy 1-2 year old phones is what enables others to buy the latest phone every year, so actually what you're doing is the main driver for increased/unnecessary consumerism. 🤔purchasing a 2nd hand phone it’ll also be better from a sustainability viewpoint.
That was actually really helpful, thanks. It contained the answer to my original question which seems to be that people keep FairPhones for about 5.5 years on average and that is partly due to software support so this new phone might be even better. The other stuff which was mainly a comparison with Apple rather than the pixel phone was also super good but it looks like if you want to factor in the tradeoffs on materials sourcing and ethical manufacturing then then you still have to be willing to pay a price premium for the FairPhone although the gap in performance is coming down as well as the gap in ethical credentials
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