In short, it’s a low-guilt phone, but can it compete with iPhones and disposable Samsung models?
Perhaps, but maybe the problem isn’t you and me.
It’s the cell phone carriers.
Fairphone
“In the US, what holds the Fairphone back is simply US carrier/frequency support.
We’d love to see the Fairphone sold in the US with major carrier availability.
Repairability, etc.
Fairphone
The point of the Fairphone is to be sustainable.
It also means that the phone should last as long as possible, which is why repairability is important.
Do We Care About Thinness?
For years, smartphones have gotten thinner and thinner.
And then something odd happened.
First, the cameras grew so big that they needed a thick turret to house them.
Then, the bodies of the phones started to get thicker.
It’s often only fractions of millimeters, but the iPhone is growing biggerand heavieryear over year.
And nobody is complaining.
Not even tech reviewers, who love to find insignificant things to point out.
With iPhones getting thicker and Fairphones looking slimmer, that particular “feature” seems less important.
We want to challenge the traditional way of designing devices, including the notion that thinner is better.
And it’s not just cell phones.
Not All Good
Like any design process, there are always compromises.
That’s what design is, after all.
“Right now, wireless earbuds and headphones have sub-par, often abysmal repairability.
We hope that changes, or that more manufacturers give phone buyers a choice to use sustainable accessories.”
But it’s easy to knock these minor glitches when we should be looking at the bigger picture.
The Fairphone is probably the ultimate buy for folks who care about the planet and the people on it.
And now, with its relatively svelte looks, it’s coming for your Pixel and your iPhone.
