Fairphone unveils the Fairphone 5 and surprises everyone

The most important:

On Wednesday, the Dutch start-up Fairphone presented its new flagship smartphone, the Fairphone 5. The mobile phone, which is manufactured as fairly as possible and is designed for sustainability, combines contemporary technology, attractive design and sustainability.

For the first time, the new Fairphone offers high-end technology such as an OLED display, three 50 MP lenses and 256 GB of storage. The processor is also considerably faster than that of the predecessor. However, the main reasons for the Fairphone remain the exemplary reparability, the raw materials obtained as much as possible without conflict, according to the manufacturer, and fair wages and safe working conditions for the workers in the mines and assembly plants. The 8-year update warranty until 2031, which will later be extended to 2033, is unique in the industry.

Compared to other smartphones, which are often only used for three years, the environmental impact and resource consumption are reduced by up to 50 percent with a Fairphone 5 that is used twice as long, the presentation shows.

How does it look?

The Fairphone 5 is optically comparable to the Fairphone 4. It is almost the same size and is slightly thinner and lighter despite the larger battery. Thanks to the narrower screen edges, it looks more modern and offers a slightly larger and, above all, better 6.46-inch OLED display with comparable dimensions. The OLED display would have been a wish of many customers.

If you’re looking for the smallest mobile phone possible, you’ll hardly be happy with the Fairphone 5; compared to other smartphones, it is still relatively thick and heavy.

What distinguishes the Fairphone from other smartphones?

How much does the Fairphone 5 cost?

The manufacturer recommends a non-binding price (recommended price) of 629 euros (about 600 francs) for the Fairphone 5. With guaranteed software support until at least 2031, the price is right. The manufacturer also offers a five-year warranty; for other brands, two years is common.

The older Fairphone 4 (test report) is now available for less than 500 francs.

When and where can I buy it?

The Fairphone 5 will go on sale on September 14, 2023. It can be pre-ordered from 30 August on the Fairphone website. In Switzerland it is available at Brack, Fust, Digitec, Interdiscount, Mobilezone and Circle Shop.

What colors are there?

The Fairphone 5 comes in matte black, sky blue and a transparent edition.

What can the camera do?

Compared to the previous Fairphones, the camera has again been significantly upgraded. For the first time, a Fairphone has a convincing camera that reliably takes photos and videos in 4K quality in reasonably good lighting conditions.

Some sample photos can be found in the following slideshow.

Tap the arrows in the top right of the slideshow to view the images larger.

Which parts can you replace yourself?

These ten modules can be ordered online and changed by the user:

The spare parts can also be exchanged by non-professionals. All you need is a small screwdriver. You don’t even need a screwdriver to replace the battery. Expensive repairs with sending in the defective device are no longer necessary.

What are the disadvantages of the Fairphone 5?

It cannot be charged wirelessly and, thanks to its repair-friendly, modular design, it is 9.6 millimeters thick and one to three millimeters thicker than many other smartphones. In addition, despite the removable back, it is dustproof, but not completely waterproof. It should not be submerged, but jets of water (heavy rain, etc.) are no problem.

A modular design is demanding and the Fairphone is not mass-produced like Apple’s iPhone or Samsung’s Galaxy. This, as well as the costs of fair working conditions and wages and the purchase of conflict-free raw materials, are ultimately also reflected in the price.

Is it fairly produced?

Since the first Fairphone in 2013, more than 500,000 Fairphones have been sold. But are the honest phones really honest?

First: According to the manufacturer, the Fairphone 5 of 212 grams is “emission neutral”. This means that for every Fairphone produced, 212 grams of electronic waste is recycled. Fairphone therefore strives for a circular economy, but said in 2021 that this is not yet a reality. Fairphone also remains dependent on the extraction of raw materials.

Second: Compared to previous Fairphones and especially smartphones from other brands, the Fairphone 5 contains more recycled materials and so-called conflict-free raw materials. But again, not all minerals come from reasonably mined sources.

Therefore, the following still applies:

Third: Fairphone’s commitment to employee well-being, whether in African resource mines or Chinese assembly plants, is transparently documented. However, we have to be realistic: even Fairphone cannot rule out black sheep in the complex supply chains.

Fourth: No other smartphone is easier to repair. The fact that customers receive a five-year warranty and eight to ten years of software support is exemplary. This creates incentives to keep the device longer, and this in turn puts the relatively high price of around 600 francs into perspective.

This shows that some of Fairphone’s promises (e.g. the update guarantee or simple repairs) are easily verifiable. For others it becomes more difficult. How are you supposed to know if the Fairphone battery is really “by far the fairest smartphone battery on the market”, as the Dutch claim?

What are the main specifications?

how good is it

Our upcoming test will answer that. Based on the specs and our first impressions, we can say that this is by far the best Fairphone from a technical point of view. It runs smoothly and especially the screen and the camera have made a big leap. In terms of repairability, fair production and software support, it’s in a league of its own. What has remained is the relatively clumsy design, which will probably put off some interested parties.

Where can you see the presentation?

What is the previous model good for?