Fairphone 2: Seven-year-old smartphone gets Android 10

There is news from Fairphone. The probably best-known company for eco-friendly smartphones has announced that they are now rolling out Android 10 for the second generation. However, this is not supposed to happen in the context of a Fairphone 3 release. Instead, the now seven-year-old Fairphone 2 will get its update to the Android version.

This is how longevity goes

Fairphone has always stood for longevity and the importance of recycling. To achieve this goal, the Dutch company has always focused on the interchangeability of the installed components. Thus, the entire smartphone does not have to be replaced in case of a defect. Instead, the individual hardware components can simply be purchased separately. This modular design also ensures that the Fairphone is virtually never behind in terms of technology.

If it should ever become slow, you can simply install a more modern processor or working memory. Of course, the same applies to the battery, which, as experience shows, gets weaker over time in all smartphones. In times of more and more glued hardware in smartphones, this is anything but typical. There is no way around an expensive repair by a specialist retailer. It is hardly surprising that many customers buy a new device instead.

However, it is not only the longevity of a device’s hardware that is important. The software also plays a major role. Especially with Android smartphones, it is anything but typical that you can be sure that a new device will be up to date for a long time. Fairphone takes a different approach here as well, as the manufacturer now proves. Thus, the company has announced that users of the now aged Fairphone 2 will receive an update to Android 10 piece by piece.

Seven years of software support

It is by no means new to connoisseurs of Fairphone that the manufacturer keeps its devices in line for many years with security and software updates. This was also the case with the first generation of the smartphone. For example, the Fairphone 1, which was launched in 2013, was supplied up to Android 9. Considering the fact that the device went on sale with Android 5, that is really amazing and anything but typical. With the second generation, Fairphone tops this once again. Although the device went on sale seven years ago, it now gets an update to Android 10.

Fairphone swims against the tide

The smartphone sector is a major contributor to the world’s growing annual e-waste. The nearly 1.4 billion smartphones, which end up in the trash garbage can year after year, are responsible for this. Fairphone wants to counteract this trend and set a good example. Fairphones should do one thing above all: last a long time. This is the only way to ensure that one’s own smartphone does not have to be replaced frequently.

Uncomplicated repair

To repair your Fairphone, you don’t have to be an experienced smartphone hobbyist yourself. The modular design is such that even a layman can easily see through it. If you have questions about the installation of the hardware parts available in the online store, it is worth taking a look at Fairphone’s video tutorials. Since the spare parts are also made of recycled material wherever possible, the Dutch company supports a progress of the environmentally friendly product cycle.

Fairphone’s service is especially cool in that customers can send in their old smartphone and turn it into cash. This is then recycled and reused to build a Fairphone or a hardware component. Buyers also receive a credit for this, which can be used when purchasing the Fairphone. Anyone who currently sends in their old device can assume that it will serve as a hardware donor for a Fairphone 4.

Customer proximity seems to be important

The Dutch emphasize the close cooperation with the community in their announcement about the rollout of Android 10 for Fairphone 2. Apparently, they have learned from the mistakes that the rollout of Android 9 brought with it. At that time, the update was a long time coming. Agnes Crepet, Head of Software Longevity & IT at Fairphone, comments on the rollout with the following words:

“We are proud to have made Android 10 available to Fairphone 2 users, exceeding our goal of five years of support for our devices. We want to encourage our users to keep their phones longer and providing software updates allows them to do so. We want to show the industry that it is possible to be more sustainable, especially when it comes to software.”