Fairphone takes a different starting point than nearly every other phone maker on the market: instead of chasing the fastest chip or the highest megapixel count, the Dutch company designs phones meant to be opened, repaired and kept for years. The current Fairphone (Gen. 6+) is built around 12 user-replaceable modules, more than 50% Fair or Recycled Materials, and a software support commitment that runs through 2033.
That philosophy extends well beyond the hardware. Fairphone runs an electronic-waste-neutral program, taking back one device for recycling or reuse for every phone it sells, and backs its manufacturing with living-wage bonuses paid to factory workers, more than €1.25 million since 2019. Buyers can configure a device, including the choice between standard Android and the privacy-focused /e/OS, directly at fairphone.com.
Who is Fairphone?
Fairphone launched in Amsterdam with a mission to prove that a smartphone could be made more ethically, from the sourcing of its raw materials through to how long it stays usable, without asking owners to give up a modern Android experience. Rather than releasing a new flagship every year, the company iterates more slowly, focusing each generation on sustainability and repairability gains alongside incremental hardware updates.
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Fairphone has also pursued third-party recognition for its approach, including some of the highest repairability scores independent assessors give to any smartphone, and the company publishes detailed impact reports each year covering its supply chain, labor practices and environmental footprint. That transparency has made Fairphone a frequent reference point whenever the tech press discusses the right-to-repair movement.
What Fairphone does best
Genuine, tool-light repairability
With over 40 individually replaceable components and 12 core modules, including the battery, screen, cameras and charging port, a Fairphone owner can fix common issues themselves using parts sold directly by the company, rather than sending the phone away or replacing it outright.
Materials sourced with real traceability
More than half of the materials in the current Fairphone are Fair or Recycled, and the company was the first smartphone maker to use Fairtrade-certified gold, giving buyers a level of supply-chain transparency that’s rare in consumer electronics.
A software support window few phones can match
Fairphone has committed to software support through 2033 on the Gen. 6+, a window that dwarfs the two-to-three-year commitments typical of budget and mid-range Android phones and rivals the longest commitments from any flagship maker.
A five-year warranty that matches the repair philosophy
Fairphone backs the Gen. 6+ with a five-year warranty, reinforcing the idea that the phone is meant to be a long-term purchase rather than something replaced every couple of years.
Fair labor practices built into manufacturing
Fairphone’s factory partnerships are structured to support living wages and worker wellbeing, with the company reporting more than €1.25 million paid out in living-wage bonuses since 2019, a detail that matters to buyers who weigh how a product is made as much as what it does.
Products and pricing at a glance
| Product | What it is | Typical price |
|---|---|---|
| Fairphone (Gen. 6+) | Standard Android, modular design | From €649 |
| Fairphone (Gen. 6+) with /e/OS | Privacy-focused software build | From €699 |
| Fairbuds | Repairable wireless earbuds | From €99 |
| Fairbuds XL | Repairable over-ear headphones | From €249 |
What customers say
Fairphone’s customers are an unusually engaged group, and the brand’s strengths, repairability, the long software and warranty window, and its sourcing transparency, come up again and again as the reasons people choose it over a mainstream flagship. Owners who’ve replaced their own battery or screen frequently describe the process as refreshingly straightforward compared with any other phone they’ve owned.
The electronic-waste-neutral take-back program and Fairtrade gold sourcing are also frequently cited as reasons buyers feel comfortable recommending Fairphone to friends who care about where their electronics come from, even when the raw specs don’t top the latest flagship charts. Owners also frequently mention Fairphone’s customer support as responsive when they do need help with a repair, a detail that matters for a brand built around the expectation that its phones get opened up.
Who Fairphone is best for
Fairphone is the clear choice for buyers who prioritize sustainability, ethical sourcing and long-term repairability over chasing the latest camera megapixel count or benchmark score, and for anyone who wants a phone they can realistically keep, and fix, for five years or more. The choice between standard Android and /e/OS also makes it a strong option for privacy-conscious buyers.
Shoppers chasing flagship-tier cameras or raw gaming performance will find faster options elsewhere, but few of those phones offer anything close to Fairphone’s repair and support commitments or its supply-chain transparency.
Price and value
Starting at €649, the Fairphone (Gen. 6+) is priced in line with solid mid-range Android phones, but the comparison undersells it: a five-year warranty, software support through 2033 and a modular design that lets owners replace parts themselves add up to a far lower total cost of ownership than most phones in this price bracket, flagship or otherwise. Replacement parts, including batteries, screens and camera modules, are sold directly through Fairphone’s own store at prices well below a full device replacement, which further lowers the real cost of ownership over the years the phone is designed to last.
Verdict
Fairphone has built a genuinely different kind of smartphone, one where sustainability, repairability and fair manufacturing are the headline features rather than an afterthought. For buyers who want a phone they can keep, fix and trust for years, it has few real rivals.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, for buyers who value sustainability and long-term repairability over chasing the latest camera benchmark, since the five-year warranty and software support through 2033 add up to a long usable life.
Fairphone offers shipping and a standard return window through fairphone.com, with full policy details available on the company's returns page.
The Fairphone (Gen. 6+) carries a five-year warranty, well beyond the one- or two-year coverage typical of most smartphone makers.
Fairphone trades some raw camera and chip performance for genuine modular repairability, ethical material sourcing and a software support window that runs through 2033.
Fairphone is based in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, and sells its phones primarily across Europe.
Yes, the Fairphone (Gen. 6+) has 12 core replaceable modules and more than 40 individual components, including the battery and screen, designed to be swapped by the owner using parts sold directly by Fairphone.
Yes, the standard Fairphone configuration runs Android and the full Google Play Store, while an /e/OS version is also available for buyers who want a more privacy-focused software build.
