Fairphone 6: Nothing works without a screwdriver on the new fair smartphone

4 months ago 23

Fairer production, great software promises and easy to repair thanks to its modular design: with the Fairphone 6, the manufacturer is basically hitting the mark when it comes to the EU eco-design introduced on June 20. It is now the manufacturer's sixth – and, with the 3 Plus, even seventh – generation. The latest version looks more sophisticated than its predecessors and is even a little cheaper at 600 euros.

Fairphone 6: many components are interchangeable

Like its predecessors, the Fairphone is initially characterized by twelve user-replaceable components. In addition to the screen, battery and cameras, owners can also replace the USB-C port and speaker. The main board (the “top unit”) and the ear cup can also be replaced if necessary.

Despite or rather because of the high degree of repairability, the device is only splash-proof in accordance with protection class IP55. Smartphones with a higher protection rating such as IP68 or even IP69 are glued and therefore more difficult to repair.

With the Fairphone 6, users only have to loosen a few screws, depending on the component. A new feature of this model is that the back and battery are screwed together. The softpack battery is connected to the housing with seven screws. On the predecessors, these parts could simply be removed without tools. Despite the additional screws, the Fairphone 6 achieves EU Class A certification for repairability and durability.

Another new feature is the division of the back of the housing into two parts. The upper and lower parts can be removed independently of each other and replaced separately. The manufacturer also offers different coloured backplates and accessories such as a cardholder, lanyards, and finger loops to further customize the device. The prices of spare parts and accessories are quite moderate.

Fairphone charges just under 100 euros for a replacement display, 70 euros for the main camera element and 35 euros for the ultra-wide-angle camera. An upper cover costs around 10 euros and the lower element 15 euros. A screw-on cardholder for three credit cards or a finger loop costs around 28 euros.

Six major OS updates from Android 15

In addition to the modular design, Fairphone promises a long update promise until 2033: the Fairphone 6 will receive six major Android versions from Android 15 onwards. The manufacturer is thus promising the same number of updates as Samsung and Google and is of course complying with EU regulations, which have stipulated five years of Android updates from the end of sales since June 20.

It is to be hoped that the manufacturer will reliably implement the update promises, as Fairphone owners have had to be patient with new Android versions in the past. For example, the manufacturer promised an update to Android 14 for the Fairphone 4 by the end of 2024, but this never materialized. Instead, the device will soon receive an update to Android 15, although Android 16 has already been released. The manufacturer also offers a five-year warranty.

“Fairphone Moments”: digital detox button

Another special feature of the Fairphone 6 is the so-called “Fairphone Moments”. The manufacturer describes it as a “convertible system that turns one phone into two phones”. For this purpose, a physical switch is attached to the side of the housing, allowing users to “switch between a smartphone with a full range of functions and a minimum of functionality”.

According to the manufacturer, the function was developed for users “who want to be more present and enjoy the moment or simply need additional concentration, time out or an inner digital balance”. HMD is also pursuing a similar approach with the so-called Detox-Mode in the Skyline model.

Fairphone 6 with mid-range chip

In terms of classic hardware, Fairphone has opted for a smaller but better display in the new model than its predecessor: instead of a 6.46-inch OLED screen with 90 Hz, a 6.31-inch POLED panel based on LTPO is used, which supports a dynamic refresh rate of up to 120 Hz. However, the resolution of 2484 × 1116 pixels and 432 ppi is slightly lower than the Fairphone 5, whose screen has a resolution of 2770 × 1224 pixels with a pixel density of 459 ppi. Gorilla Glass 7i protects against scratches.

Fairphone uses a Qualcomm Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 processor with eight cores and up to 2.5 GHz. The mid-range chip introduced in mid-2024 is also used in the Nothing Phone 3a and 3a Pro models, among others, and should deliver sufficient performance. The processor is accompanied by eight GB of RAM and 256 GB of flash memory. The memory can also be expanded by up to two TByte using a microSDXC card, which is now a rarity. 5G support (via eSIM or SIM card), Bluetooth 5.4 and Wi-Fi 6E are also on board.

With the previous model, Fairphone still had to rely on an IoT processor to ensure the longest possible update guarantee. Thanks to a partnership between Google and Qualcomm, Android updates are now possible for up to eight years. The long update guarantee was initially announced for the Snapdragon 8 Elite, but was later extended to other processors.

The battery is larger than its predecessor, now measuring 4415 mAh instead of 4200 mAh. Thanks to the more energy-efficient Qualcomm chip, Fairphone claims 20 percent longer battery life than its predecessor. However, at 33 watts, the Fairphone 6 is not much faster at wired charging than the previous model with 30 watts.

The rear wide-angle camera has a Sony Lytia 700C sensor with 50 MP and a fast aperture of f/1.56. This sensor is also found in Motorola's Edge 60 Pro, for example. There is also an ultra-wide-angle camera with a 13 MP sensor and a 120-degree angle of view on board. For selfies, there is a 32 MP camera with f/2.0 aperture under the screen.

Focus on sustainability

As with its predecessor models, the manufacturer also attaches great importance to producing the Fairphone 6 in the most environmentally and worker-friendly way possible. It consists of over 50 percent fair or recycled materials – in relation to the total weight – and represents an improvement on the 42 percent used in the Fairphone 5.

According to the company, a total of 14 raw materials come from fair supply chains or are recycled. These include cobalt, tungsten, silver and gold, as well as recycled aluminum, copper, steel, rare earths, indium, magnesium, nickel, tin, zinc, and over 93% PCR plastic. However, the company cannot obtain all the necessary raw materials from fair sources. According to the company, the Fairphone is e-waste neutral, as the company aims to recycle an old smartphone for every unit sold.

The Fairphone 6 is now available to order at a price of just under 600 euros. This makes it cheaper than the Fairphone 5, which was launched two years ago at a price of 700 euros. The new model is available in white, black, and green.

(afl)

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This article was originally published in German. It was translated with technical assistance and editorially reviewed before publication.

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