The Dutch company Fairphone has set itself the goal of developing sustainable smartphones that can be manufactured without overexploiting nature or exploiting people. While the first generation of the Fairphone, which was launched on the market in 2013, did not achieve top marks in terms of sustainability due to a lack of spare parts, the Fairphone 2 from 2015 was the first smartphone to receive the top mark of iFixit.com, which electrical devices receive based on their reparability. The Fairphone 3 now presented, with its modularity already familiar from its predecessors, is now set to build on its successes.
Exchange of individual modules ensures a long service life for the Fairphone 3
In order to leave as small an ecological footprint as possible, a smartphone requires a particularly long service life. Fairphone therefore relies on a design made up of individual modules during the development phase, which will later enable even laypersons to repair them well. The aim is to prevent functional devices from ending up in the garbage instead of replacing their defective components. For this reason, all the tools necessary to repair the smartphone on your own are already included in the scope of delivery.
Individual modules can be purchased directly from the official online shop. Fairphone also gives a 24-month warranty on its third smartphone.
- Akku 30 Euro
- Display 90 Euro
- Camera 50 Euro
- Rear cover 25 Euro
- Top module 30 Euro
- submodule 20 Euro
- Loudspeaker module 20 Euro
In addition to its modular structure, Fairphone’s sustainability philosophy starts with the procurement of raw materials that come exclusively from “fair trade” sources. This means, for example, that employees receive fair wages throughout the entire value chain.
Technical details of the Fairphone 3 rather minor
Instead of chasing new best performances and technical innovations that many consumers don’t use anyway, the “Fairphone wants to change the world”. Already the product page in the online shop makes this clear by the sparse technical details.
The 12 megapixel main camera has an IMX363 sensor with digital image stabilizer and dual LED flash. Videos can be recorded in UDH resolution at 30 frames per second. The 8 megapixel front camera supports videos with Full HD resolution.
Further information about components is also hidden at the end of the product page. The Fairphone 3 has 4 GB RAM and 64 GB internal memory, which can be expanded by MicroSD card. The SoC used is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 632 with eight 2.2 GHz cores. There’s also an Adreno 506 graphics chip on board.
The 5.65-inch IPS display offers a pixel density of high 427 DPI with 1,080 x 2,160 pixels. Thanks to Quick Charge 3.0, the battery connected via USB 2.0 Type C can be charged quickly. Unfortunately, wireless charging is not possible with the Fairphone 3.
Market launch and price
The Fairphone 3 comes onto the market for 450 euros. Compared to other devices in this price range, the smartphone’s performance is significantly weaker. However, this is not bad with the Fairphone 3, since the device is not supposed to convince by extreme performance, but by its high sustainability and thus appeals to other groups of buyers.
The device will be delivered from 3 September. In addition to the smartphone, tools and a case are also included. On the other hand, the company does without a charger, a cable and headphones, as these are already available in almost every household anyway and so electrical waste can be avoided. In addition to its own online shop, Fairphone 3 also offers Mobilcom Debitel in Germany. In addition there is a Cashback program, which refunds up to 40 euro for the recycling of an old equipment with the purchase of a Fairphone 3.
