Yeah, tech journalists, it has a worse camera and battery than other phones priced similarly, but how many of those phones have the modular design? How many of them companies offer replaceable parts? How many of them offer the same software support? The recycled materials? Ethically sourced minerals? Incentivizing fair wages? Does the pixel 7a have ANY of those? If we are here to nitpick we can do so all day, but the real conversation is much broader... and you should be fair on all sides, if you praise your objectivism!
Well elaborated, except almost all consumers don't care, they're going to vote with their purchases on which ever phone offers the most value for their money, not some ESG bull crap. I'm afraid Fairphone is going to flop really hard in the coming years if they keep pushing out this kind of "environmentally conscious" activist agenda, instead of maximizing the great feature of DIY, longevity, and offer high-end specs without huge markup.
Hear hear. 100% correct, the day we start comparing all other phones on Fairphone's metrics, they will crash to the ground. If Fairphone falls 30% short of the good parts of a Pixel Pro, a Pixel Pro would probably fall 50% short of the good parts of a Fairphone.
One thing I really dislike about smartphone reviews is the double standards when it comes to reviews of Fairphone vs every other manufacturer. Fairphone is always criticised for its chipset and camera performance relative to similarly priced competitors, but the competitors are never criticised for their massive failures in sustainability, ethics and repairability relative to Fairphone. If we want change within the industry then we actually have to hold the bigger manufacturers to account on these issues. And that means tech journalists actually need to grow some balls and start making these points in every review of the latest Apple/Samsung/Google/etc, rather than pretending none of those issues exist.
Very true. They’re aways like “Phone x or y is much better because you get better value for your money” when that value is hidden in poor labour conditions, questionable material sources or a disregard for the environment by launching 50 “different” models per year. The double standards are insane.
So true. It's almost not a fair comparison. Like, this phone was made using fair and safe labour practices. They pay factory workers a living wage bonus, no slave labour, no child labour. This makes the phone more expensive but you'll also get 8 years of use so if you divide the price of the phone/8, it's really not bad. Meanwhile: "But it doesn't have the best camera though! 🤓" So child and slave labour are ok if you need a slightly better camera? Let's be real, 99% of people are not shooting the new cover of vogue, they're taking pictures of their cat. Do they really need the best of the best for that?
While I kinda agree, it's also not the reviewers responsibility to do so. They're there to review the product, the end result that you can buy. They're not there to talk about the manufacturing process or company ethics. The whole reason the subject gets brought up in Fairphone reviews is because Fairphone touts their sustainability, their "fairness" as a feature. Do we need better journalistic coverage of these companies, and manufacturing? Yes, but a product review is not the place for it.
Well of course they're going to criticise the processor and camera when the whole point of the phone is to keep using it for as long as possible. If the specs aren't good by todays standard then in 5 years its going to run much worse on a newer OS.
The problem is that we have been spoiled with "premium materials and powerhouse chipsets". And we shouldn't have to pay a huge price for replacing a phone screen or any other part. Fairphone is the right example of how all future smartphones should be - eco-friendly, long-lasting and cheap to repair. And i am confident that over time they will keep getting better by refining their phones.
Yeah, but you can't play Genshin Impact at max settings! And if you zoom way in on photos, they don't look quite as good as the best phone camera in the industry! /s
Just to clarify to everyone else since your message is somewhat ambiguous: with that wording it would be 5 years of OS update + 3 more years of security patches.
@@robtektek Well, welcome to the old days, I guess. Although, I don't change my battery when my current died with my old phone. Back then, they sip less power.
yeah then it means u already buy 2 batteries and u run through then fast than we run through them in a regular phone. so is the impact on the env really decreased overall? a regular s21 ultra battery lasts a day with 85% max charge setting. and still does after 2 years and I don't see myself ever replacing it (the phone or battery), at least 10 plus years. it might be better and more environmentally friendly to buy the best phone and keep it for 10 years or more (even without updates). but then again I barely drop my phone and have never needed to replace a screen on any phone for 20 years that we had phones.
@@handlehandle12322 Just you wait brother, I always used the 85% thing on my S20 Ultra, battery life was decent up till one day where it was like it hit a wall, I swear I can almost feel it getting worse by the day. Taken great care of it ever since I got it and never left it plugged in overnight and everything, all for nothing since it's now 3 years old and definitely is starting to get bothersome to charge halfway through the day!
I have been a happy fairphone user for 3+ years now (I have a fairphone 3). Overall good performance. I have no complaints about the battery, have not changed it since I bought the phone. As my phone use does not require the absolute best camera and I am not a gamer, I am happy to vote with my money for a more ethical choice.
Personally if I'm gaming using a phone doesnt work for me besides emulators (way lower performance use on average than modern games) is the most gaming I do that or pixel games. There's preferable portables or my desktop instead.
@@Anonymous-zu7dh I still think the Fairphone 5 is worth buying given all the improvements. Sure, they announced in their FAQs they had to compromise in order for the phone to be smaller and have all the extra features. But these days it seems like nearly every phone company is ditching the jack, and the modern phones that stil have them aren't ethically sourced sadly...
Quite a harsh review. The FP5 is a technical miracle. The whole package is really amazing. Why not change that title of the video? Seems a bit too much clickbait-like now. Will you also review other phones in the context of sustainability and repairability? A Pixel has the best camera in the industry, but it's glued shut.
Dropped my old pixel 5a 2 inches and it bricked. Brought to 3 repair stores to be told it would be cheaper to just buy a new phone, which I ended up doing. Wish I could say that was a fairphone, but I live in the US where it’s not yet available so I switched back to Apple 🤦♂️🥲
I'm switching from a Pixel 7a to the Fairphone 5. Screen cracked on my 7a and the repair quote I got was 70% of the price of a new 7a. I'm getting a worse phone in every way with the F5 but I hope and suspect it's good enough for me and when it breaks I can repair it myself for a fraction of the cost of what the repair would be on any other phone.
I have the Fairphone 4 for 1.5 year now and I actually want to transition to a pixel phone as next phone. The camera is not just A LOT better with the pixel, it's MUCH MUCH BETTER at low light intensity, because of AI support, while it is really crappy with the Fairphone. Same goes for the mic. You wanna record something, or film a bit of a concert? Forget it with the Fairphone. The Fairphone 4 has still many software issues like the screen light intensity becoming very low at moments and is still stuck with android 12. Seriously, I feel scammed because both the Fairphone 3 and 5 are already with android 13 and the Fairphone 3 got upgraded modular parts. They could have made the modules between the Fairphone 4 and 5 compatible but they didn't. The Fairphone 4 was a in-between phone so that they keep selling. A noble cause they have but the execution is disappointing.
I'm considering a shift to the Fairphone 5 too, would be great if you can update on how it is, particularly to battery life, gaming/performance and camera. Not sure if how much improvement it gets with Camera FV-5 or Open Camera.
@jierenzheng7670 One of the benefits of the fairphone is if your battery degrades it's replaceable. That's been going the way of the dodo bird when people seem to forget you can buy a spare battery and charge it (great for road trips or long outings just swap your backup charged battery). Bonus tip: If I recall the sweet spot is 80% charge for battery longevity and fully discharge (not everyone does that but if it's a serious concern that helps). The phone is real nice for giving you an option that frankly should be expected in phones nowadays (its the future why can't we get a replaceable non soldered battery at least as an option?).
@@theepicduck6922 My impression is that phones have a replaceable battery, just that you will need to go through layers of adhesives to get to it. At least this is my experience with phones within the past 2-3 years.
@@black_nicca Bulk manufacturing and changing that process from the ground up all at once, doesn't. These phone makers have had no incentive to source ethically aquired materials, incentivize fair wages, use as much recycled material as possible or make a modular phone and parts for it, for the last, forever years since they were founded. Now they would have to change and scrap most of their methods and manufacturing processes, just to what, make the consumer's lives better, make more sustainable and long-lasting devices? Blah, that don't make money! They have no reason to, it would be a really bald move if they did, but economically, they are stuck in whatever process they have been investing into this whole time, and they can't just modify it overnight just to make a modular phone, sadly.
Or at least all the boxes they could tick. If they were bigger they would definitly want to tick more boxes. For example making phones with replacable batteries is probably going to get really easy soon when every manufacturer is forced to do it.
Very strange review. Instead of focusing on who this phone is for the reviewer looks for people it is not for. Wouldn't an unbiased reviewer say it's for the 90% of people who are not heavy gamers and not spending every minute on their phone, instead of sending the message that it is not for the small percentage of heavy gamers that don't have chargers in their office/car/home. Same for the photos, 90% of users do not zoom in to look for the blurry edges. The only thing that saves this review a bit is the fact that the reviewer mentions the fact that you can spread the up front cost over a much longer time. I guess it's not a good idea to give a good review to a device from a small company when 99% of your reviews depend on devices from one large Korean, one American and a couple of Chinese companies.
I think the review is okay, the bigger problem is what you touched on at the end there. Tech reviewers live in absolute fear of being blacklisted by these major manufacturers so they'll never mention the sustainability, ethics and repair flaws in their devices. These videos influence consumers so it's important that reviewers actually speak the truth instead of pretending such issues don't exist.
@@matthewnguyen6569 Valid criticism is always welcome. I am not suggesting a nothing-but-praise video. It just doesn't make sense to review a sports car for storage space. This review also doesn't make sense.
Expandable storage with microSD cards isn't talked enough about generally. It's such a huge benefit! I have some old phones that broke or that I forgot the code for, but since my photos were stored on microSD cards it was easy to get them backed up. Easily replaceable battery is also so nice! Having a spare battery instead of a power bank has a lot of benefits. Pixel 7A seems to have a lot of niceties, but they matter little if the phone can't hold for as long. I guess it's a matter of priorities for each person.
That's actually pretty insecure. If you were able to retrieve your media so easily it means your SD card wasn't encrypted, so if you got robbed or lost your phone anyone could easily retrieve ALL your photos and videos.
@@LinuxIsNotAnOperatingSystem That's true. Encryption would have been wise in such a case, but I'm nevertheless happy that I could easily retrieve my old photos.
@LinuxIsNotAnOperatingSystem Different use case in part. If it's primarily family photos, don't see much of a need to secure them short of some extreme cases. If it's your contact log, depending on who you are it's important to secure that. Better safe than sorry but there is reasonable lengths to go. Your family photos for a vacation trip probably don't need to be as secure as fort Knox.
@@imarocketman90 Perhaps a solution for some, but tedious if you have a spotty internet connection and it relies on you trusting a third party with your personal photos. It can get pretty pricey too. A memory card doesn't need a subscription. :^)
What most people are overlooking when it comes to the battery - you can easily carry around 2 additional batteries (that you charged with an external battery charger) in your pocket and change it on the go, it takes less space and is far more convienient than carrying a powerbank and having to use a phone with the power bank plugged in
OR you have a small power bank that is much more versatile and not product-specific and does not require to charge your phone. Seriously, who would get a second battery with them instead of a power bank?
I feel similarly. It's not a perfect solution, but FairPhone DOES offer a USB to 3.5mm jack converter on their store as an accessory, to allow you to still use 3.5mm devices when the phone isn't plugged in to charge.
The cool thing about it being modular is that Fairphone will sell upgraded spare components, such as the camera, during this model's lifetime (assuming they will continue like they've done so far). So you can not only replace, but also upgrade some components without having to buy a whole new phone. Who knows, maybe they'll manage to make a better camera in the future. The battery though will probably not be upgradable as it needs more volume. Good thing you can so easily swap one out whenever you need! I'm so happy to see a holepunch display and upgrades all over. If I had the money I would seriously consider this as my next phone.
That's right. I had always wondered why smartphones can't be designed like pocket-sized PC's with upgradable and replaceable components, until Fairphone came out and showed that it never was a technology or design limitation, but a philosophical limitation in other companies.
@@handlehandle12322 Most of the upgrades have been pretty modest, like an improved screen. The improved camera quality actually came via updates. (Recent Pixel & iOS camera quality gains have been almost entirely from software, with less proprietary solutions taking longer to receive such features.)
For the exact same specifications, any product that is more ethical and/or more environmentally friendly will necessarily involve a lot more extra work / effort (= paying someone to do that work) to take care of ethics / environment, and therefore necessarily be more expensive. This unfortunately means that customers that do bother about ethics/environment are actually penalized (by paying more) for their effort, and customers that don’t care, are actually rewarded (by paying less). Therefore, ethical/environmentally friendly products are necessarily less cost competitive, and from there, a less appealing option which likely confined it to a niche. One of the option to change that may be to have governments (from richer countries) implement a strict « social tax » and « environment tax » on imported products that do not respect good social and environment policies to make those products much, much, much more expensive versus the products that do… : from there, the cheaper alternative will be the one that respect much better social and environment standards.
A lot of companies (even those that benefit from unethical practices) would be screaming out for more regulation. Because not everyone that works there is a monster, and most people would rather show up to work with a clear conscience. But then you have these conflicting responsibilities to shareholders, that makes it almost necessary to dance as close as possible to the confines of the law, regarding worker exploitation, taxes etc (and if you don't - someone else will). So what we need is stronger regulations so that the Board of Execs can turn to their investors and say "we actually HAD to shut down that cobalt mine - our hands are tied".
I'll probably buy an extra battery, that definitely fixes the battery life problem, and its easier to put in your bag than a powerbank, ideal for music festivals
You are better off with a power bank which is more versatile, compatible with all your products and you don't have to switch off your phone for it. Better buying an extra battery when yours starts getting old, or you end up with two old batteries at the same time.
@@bassenji5565 doesn't really solve my specific use case where it's way better to go from 0 to 100% in a short moment. Also this summer I found out the hard way that charging a phone in really hot weather can actually be impossible, where a battery swap wouldn't generate extra heat.
@@bassenji5565 I think the battery option is still less cluttered. He did specify 'bag' but they fit in your trouser pockets more easily, no annoying cable either. But these ones are 40 euros, which is yikes, and at present they don't even specify a capacity, which is a worry (the one that comes with the phone is a paltry 2500?). Also they're described as being specific to that phone... which I would think is a major oversight, as I'm sure there are plenty of other phones out there that use a standard off the shelf phone battery.
Did I just missed it or didn't you even bother to mention, that there is still the possibility that performance flaws in battery life and camera might be counteracted via software optimization in prospective updates? :/ Edit: They also could come up with bigger batteries in the future.
Yeah, the whole sales concept of this device is its longevity (old devices get _better_ with proper updates). Ignoring the potential for updates on features that are differentiated almost entirely by software optimizations, is to ignore the principle appeal of a device such as this. The Pixel & iPhone have had _serious_ show-stopping issues when some models released, but _updates_ fixed a lot of that. Sadly, no phone remains useable without updates; so, it's disingenuous to compare hardware & software without also comparing update philosophies.
Fairphone shows it is possible. Now we need community action to pressure the legislators so all phones are as repairable and long lasting as the Fairphone.
No need for legislators if people just make smart choices. Stop thinking that everything needs regulations. If something is genuinely good, it will be successful and others will adapt.
@@WolfofnoStreeta majority of people will always line their pockets before being ethical. Most people would only buy a fairphone if it was genuinely the best phone regardless of ethics
@@WolfofnoStreet Because its a fundamentally more expensive and less profitable to make phones that way, the best choice for any major company has been shown to be yearly phones, with difficult to replace batteries, proprietary chargers and superficial environmentalism. There's a reason child labour was made illegal, and didn't just naturally disappear with market pressures. Why do you not like common sense regulation? Is an iphone with a USB C charger and a replaceable battery really such a terrible idea?
Also something to take into account: with the Pixel 7A you won't have security updates for nearly as long and fixing something that breaks or replacing the battery is hard. You'll probably get a new phone within 4 years whereas the Fairphone should last at least 8 and probably 10 years. One purchase of €700 vs 2x€500 will make the Fairphone significantly cheaper. This is why planned obsolescence exists. Companies figured out that people don't think too much about this, so they can rake in more profits by selling products which aren't meant to last.
New phones won't be cheaper. Cost of phones will increase every year. Who knows after 5 years pixel phones may cost 1000$. So this phone is really good.
It's a great idea that can be inproved over time with software optimization fixing partially the battery not being particularly good and cameras. Considering that fairphone did that in the past and you can upgrade both battery and camera by yourself this phone is great. It's a relatively small company so we have to wait until it can reach others quality, but it can help improving the market on the ethical side nontheless.
This whole video seems like it's trying to protect the status quo by comparing this very unique product to flagship devices. While this is of course not a device for power users, I feel like the emphasis should have been more on overall usability of the phone and if it's a viable option for someone looking to do their part in making our world a little more sustainable. The most concerning part of the review was the battery life so I wish he could have gone into more real world usage of the device to see if this is one where we really do need an external pack or if it's ok for light phone users. Overall I feel this phone is worth looking into more and I'll be watching other takes on it to make an informed purchasing decision. Nevertheless, big ups to Fairphone for putting all of this in the world.
The only part of these reviews that bugs me is how much camera quality is pushed like everyone is a photographer when most of us struggle with a good selfie. The fair phone is interesting.
What i'd like to see: - rubber instead of metal band around the phone - rubber lip to protect the display (e.g. like on the nokia xr21) - 3,5mm jack - way better camera quality
I highly recommend fairphone! Ive had my Fairphone 3 for over three years, and have yet to have to do any repairs. They are built different. I broke a phone a year multiple years in a row before fairphone, it was crazy. I work in childcare, my poor phone gets dropped on a daily basis. No screen cracks, nothing. It bounces right back every time. Battery lasts all day for me, as someone who watches tik toks every break and commute I have, but also has a screen free job. Highly recommend
I've had a Fairphone 3 for years now and it's still great. Just recently got another major Android upgrade. If you want a phone that does basics well and lasts a very long time, I think the Fairphone is a great decision.
I could care less about the specs. As long as I can repair it, I can take photos, and I can connect to the internet and do social media stuff, this phone is perfect. Wish they brought it to the US though
It would be more fair to highlight the improvements to the fairphone 4. Obviously the pixel is cheaper and has better cameras. They never claimed to have flagship specs.
7 years of updates and parts. It is more than worth it for most people. They just need to work incredibly hard on the camera processing. With the sensors they are using, its up to FF to get the processing right. I doubt this will happen, but I would love to see a sub 6in version.
Yes, the camera processing is, for most users, the biggest weakness. I hope Fairphone themselves can work on it, but for now a viable solution is installing third party camera softwares, because the actual camera hardware is fine.
this guy actually said that plastic was a bad backplate material, as if glass is any good. "Phew thank god I only have to replace the rear glass when i dropped it!"
Love my FP4, really love the fact that a spare battery is 29 Euro and I don't need, a heat gun, isopropyl alcohol, nerves of steel and an hour of my time to replace it.
5 year warranty is great. I think this is a great idea overall; especially the modular and replaceable parts being sold directly from Fairphone. This also means the company can sell upgrade components as well. I presume that some upgrades they could offer is a bigger battery, better camera, glass backing option, improved screen, etc. Another thing that wasn't mentioned is that this isn't available in the US, but I wouldn't be surprised if it does soon afterwards. I also wouldn't be surprised if major smartphone companies like and Apple and Samsung adopt a similar offering; modular design, replacement & upgrade components sold directly, etc. If that was the case maybe they can sell the phone itself for less money since the replacement & upgrade parts would make up the profit difference.
Recently, Apple’s new head of hardware, John Ternus, just shut down this idea. The financial success of these companies rely on planned obsolesence. They actively make it harder to repair their products. Apple tries to undermine the EUs right to repair by lending their repair kit to a ridiculous high price.
The battery drain is caused by *Google* Android 13. Try the other supplied OS - /e/OS - which is based on LineageOS and does not do all of Google background activities ...
Is the camera good for artists? I sometimes take pictures of my work for class or to post online. My iphone x and galaxy s9+ worked just fine as far as quality, how comparable is it?
If you plan on using your phone until it stops getting security updates, the 7a and the fairphone 5 both come out to about 100$ per year of ownership. (calculations done using the pricing information from this video, and the 7a's promise of security updates until 2028 = 5 years, where the fairphone 5's promise of security updates until 2031 = 8 years of use.)
Yeah, that's an overblown issue, considering it could be resolved with an update. iPhone & Pixel have had _plenty_ of software issues when they first release a model.
My thing with the cameras is that they can be upgraded. Sure the Pixel 7A has better camera now, but what about in 5 years? You can upgrade the Fairphone 5 Cameras which you can't with the Pixel. Same goes with the screen, battery, and in theory even the SOC. I know that Fairphone selects its SOC in part for ease of accessibility for manufacturing and consumers. That IoT processor is probably more plentiful and more importantly is a processor Qualcomm is more willing to divulge schematics for since they try to encompass full right to repair, not just spare parts. As for the battery, as you've said you can easily fix that by swapping the battery out. What used to be a standard feature for Android before plastic backs were done away with for "more premium materials" with aluminum and glass (then promptly wrap them in a plastic protective so as to not damage your expensive phone🤦♂). Lastly, not everyone wants a Pixel because not everyone wants to use Android because of Google's spyware built-in. A third-party called Murena sells the Fairphone 4 in the US with /e/OS; a de-Googled fork of Android with a focus on Privacy while also attempting to maintain compatibility with most Android apps that would be locked out with using say a mobile version of Linux such as Ubuntu Touch (ie being locked out of most banking apps because they're only compatible with Android). The point is that I don't think Fairphone is selling a smartphone so much as a vision. Their end goal I don't think is to take over the market from Apple, Google, and Samsung. Rather, it's push the industry in a more positive, more environmentally friendly direction. One that puts consumers and the environment first, not shareholders. It's the same vision as the Framework. Both companies know full well that they'll likely never have the same R&D, Human, and Financial resources as the big dogs do. But they can in their small way help move the market and slowly but surely make it into something more sustainable for all. One where we care about the humans who make our devices, the environment is not needlessly destroyed, and expensive consumer electronics are not treated as disposable
Yeah exactly: How will photos from this year's iPhone or Pixel, compare with photos with this year's Fairphone, compare 5 years from now? I would be rather surprised if the iPhone or Pixel got any significant camera software improvements (those will go to new models instead) whereas the Fairphone will probably get significant improvements during its support period.
_YES._ I would much rather swap files rapidly to an external drive, than wait for files to transfer both up & down just to maintain enough 'cloud' space for device backups. Removable storage is easy, faster, more private, & much more efficient, than remote storage.
For battery life, they could provide a phone case which could have a battery pack attached as an accessory. Yes, it would make phone thick and heavy but its way better than to keep spare batteries or powerbank.
When picking so much on the cameras, it is overlooked, that you can later upgrade the cameras, when Fairphone provides better hardware. It has already happened with the FP3 to FP3+. The pixel will be outdated at some point, but the Fairphone can just have a new camera, new battery or new screen installed and be up to date again. Fairphone is even trying to push Qualcomm to make replaceable chipsets, so your phone could never become outdated.
Fairphone is a small company, so i suspect the camera issue isnt really one of the actual cameras themselves, but the software that operates them and processes the images. You can install "other" companies' camera software APKs to achieve more with the same hardware. For me it isn't worth it because most of photos are taken with a separate camera (most smartphones can't deal with distance well when birdwatching), so im fairly happy with my own FP4.
Regarding Power Users: I don't think there is a phone out there that would lasts all day. Regarding price: It's a smaller company competing with gaint multi billion dollar companies. Gaint companies always going to have unfair advantages with manufacturing goods. Especially if or when the gaint companies are selling their products at a loss.
I love that the "elephant in the room" is how much better the Pixel is for gaming and picture-taking, and not its use of child slavery or long-term negative impact on the planet.
I wonder if there was a problem with the battery of your test model. I'm using my Fairphone 5 quite a bit every day and never did it drop below 40% at the end of the day.
How much does it cost to buy charger, protective glass and other stuff for iphone ? For that price you can buy half of spare parts for fair phone. For one screen replacement for iphone you can buy whole new faor phone too
Can the upgrades and repairs accessible in the other countries? like the Philippines? that is the big question. I still choose Samsung because of the accessibility and affordability like the A series phone.
The Google Pixel has to be thrown away completely when the battery wears down after a few years. Also only has 6 years security, 2 OS updates. From Google themselves. Make some decent comparisons will you.
I have to wonder how many people are playing Genshin Impact on their way to work. Speaking as a fairphone 4 user it is more than enough for 90% of the market. As consumers we need to start voting woth our feet and our conscience. A harsh review, and second the point about tech reviewers holding "the big ones" to higher standards on ethics and the environment.
As an avg user the only thing which concerns me is the battery life which needs to be optimized, I think the images you show are fine enough. The price may be a bit more but it is well worth it even more if it help reduce E-waste while also giving a push to consumers.
Here is what I did: Bought the degoogled Murena version with e/os/ preinstalled. Updated everything, charged everything, switched to dark mode, screen brightness 30%, everything above that hurt my eyes anyway. Set Wi-Fi on automatic, so that it turns on automatically when a known safe network is in reach. I don't play games on a phone. I have a battery for over 48 hours.
This phone gives me a nice feeling to think about owning. However, though it is able to be supported over 5 updates and 8 years of security updates, is the snapdragon processor going to be able to keep up? The phone (IMO) is only as usable as the processor allows it to be. If it struggles with some tasks now, is it really going to hold up to the demands is the OS in 5 updates time? Owning the phone for the first 2 years might be fine, but the thought that I may be forced to change a device because the processor can’t keep up with in board demand is a worry and counteracts the fact that I can replace components as they age.
Exactly my thoughts on this. Unless they offer upgrades for motherboard and easy to switching out internal stuff to new board... i dont see it making past 3 with flying flags
Well, I've been quite happily using 10 year old devices right up until the cellular networks no longer support them, & the _only_ issue I've had is with apps\services becoming unavailable due to lack of system updates... So, the 5 years of system updates would mean 4 more years of usability than any of the latest & greatest handsets I've bought thus far.
The battery life you say is poor could you upgrate the battery or can you only use the same or is the phone not very efficient? If the latter is trur be cool if you take parts from other phones like camera or even chipset and upgrade
Why aren't the releasing upgraded parts for the same phone? You make one phone and you sell upgraded modular parts? From what I understand, you can only replace them with the same standard ones.
the fair trade argument is not relevant for the majority of potential customers . software support, reparability, and parts availability is the important part. if they can bring the performance at midrange level in a future generation, way more people will pay that extra money if the phone is at least good enough. for now we can see improvement but not there yet
Rather distressing that the only reason he can think that someone would buy a sustainable phone is for feeling good about oneself and desiring recognition rather than because it’s the right thing to do. Somewhat telling on himself there
Nah, most if not all phones sold at this price range seem very premium and are really great flagships but a below average phone for such a price? I don’t think putting them together like legos would cut it as a $700 feature for me.
I love the idea of repairability and I certainly wouldn't mind spending a little extra or having a slightly thicker phone but in order for these things to be truly successful they have to actually compete with other flagships on the market and This just doesn't seem to do that.
They will never be able to. The point is that the prices offered by other manufacturers are not sustainable and use questionable and often outright unethical ways to get prices down. Fairphone price is the price of ethical standards. But having said that, their phones have improved greatly between each iteration.
Comparison to pixel was not handled well in a review. The whole idea behind a fairphone price tag is that you are paying more for materials being sorced responsibly, what can be is recycled and people on every stage of creation of it get paid well. I can understand you guys compare price and features - but you didn't mentioned that. And for me that enviromentalism and fairness in supply and production chains is a feature. As laudly as you speak about Pixel's better camera you should say that Google does not do all the things fairphone does. So yeah - tech reviews are in this weird place where they recognize that something needs to be done, and then just a second later miss the point totally and revert to a standard tech review. I know people care about photo quality. It's a selling point as well. But with a product like that comperative weight of that selling point in a total score should be adjusted.
The pixel was honestly an unfair comparison, especially when talking about cameras. That's what pixels are known for and excel in. Felt disingenuous. Could've also gone a bit more in detail that the sensor itself is decent but held back by software. Right now the narrative makes it seem as if it's simply cheaply built.
I think that once RAM becomes even more miniaturized, we may be closer to a “Framework” style upgradable form factor that would extend life even further. Being able to swap out camera sensors, lenses, double the RAM, add or subtract wireless charging, downgrade or upgrade the screen for power savings… I’d love to see in 3-5 years phones that can hold their own after ten years with only incremental upgrades.
Battery wise I'd make this point: fast charging a battery from empty: 15 minutes to an hour normal charging a battery: 1 to 3 hours swapping the used battery for a readily charged one: roughly 10 or 15 seconds depending on how steady your hands are.
I think this video misses the point, "objective" review or not. You simply can't and maybe even shouldn't measure a disruptive technology that has to cut necessary corners to achieve its disruption on the tech it wants to disrupt. Yes, your instincts tell you it's right but this is not a apples to apples comparison. Fairphone are literally reinventing the mobile phone here and serve a new demographic that are not interested in the industry's status quo. To tell people that this environmentally friendly, DIY repairable, humane, and well equipped phone is not worth it compared to more powerful but unrepairable soon-to-be e-waste phones, is counterproductive in my opinion. It's like saying don't buy a Tesla because it charges longer and has less range than a fossil fuel Porsche, despite all its other advantages.
The battery drain indeed is much more noticeable on FP4 compared to my Samsung Notes, S & A series phones. This is my 1st Fairphone and i notice that some things struggle (games), but Streaming and otherwise is good. I liked that you compared to Pixel and if Google offer the same OS/Security updates years. I would buy Pixel. I need to upgrade an old Samsung A02s and will be going for FP5. Im not a poweruser and being self repairable with several years of updates. I am happy to wait for a Xmas deal before i purchase. I thank you for the great and balanced review. Highlights for features and fair comparison. Kudos to Fairphone & CNET team
Just ask yourself: Is it more importent for me to have the best performing phone and be responsable that children have to climb between electronic waste, or make maybe not the best pictures but be part of a movement that wants the earth to be a kinder and healthier one. For me the answer was easy, I´ll get mine next week.
For a relatively new company compared to the others fairphone is doing good. in time it will be able to develop its parts such as cameras and chipsets but for now what we could appreciate from it is that we don't need to worry about high costs of repair if the screen is cracked or if the battery is not at its maximum health anymore. Its humanitarian and environmentally friendly as well.
Have been holding on a 1+ 5T since 2017, first on Google then on Lineage. Looking for a new phone ... might give Fairphone a try seems OK for a daily driver.
Well, the battery life is not a big issue in this case because I can easily replace it with the spare one. Also considering the loooong usage life, it's likely that more efficient batteries will be made over time. Same goes for the camera...
I miss back when every smart phone was like this, before they figured out the glued-on screen and glass back. Sure, they didn't sell replacement parts on their official websites but you can always get third party parts. My first smart phone was a milestone 2, and that thing was easy to take apart. Back then you didn't have to sacrifice performance or camera for repairability.
Maybe i just don't know how to use a camera but i have never ever ever taken a picture of a landscape and then zoomed to the edges to make sure i got all the detail of a building, if i want a picture of details, i usually just take a picture of said detail. I never look at my travel pictures that closely, as long as i get my subject in focus and the overall area of where the picture was taken.
The question of how much we're willing to continue sacrificing the health and safety of our environment for the sake of better performance; versus on the other hand accepting a higher price point and some inconveniences to work around (such as, as you mention, investing in extra batteries to make up for the power drain of the main one) is a decision I think we all need to be making very carefully, and questioning how much benefit we're getting out of the marginal improvements versus how much more they cost - not to our wallets, but to our world. It's valid for different people to find that it either is or is not worth the trade-offs for them... Personally, I think that when you're looking at the big picture, FairPhone 5 is exactly the kind of tech that it is vital to have on the market and getting as much press as possible so that even if it's not for everyone, those people who are willing to pay more for the care taken and for the long product life can DO so, and still be getting a solidly usable and convenient modern product.
What confuses me is how no mainstream phone manufacturer with greater resources at hand realises that by adopting this same approach to making mobile phones they would be head and shoulders above everyone else. Imagine a fairphone 5 like phone but with flagship apple or samsung specs. Why would you want anything else?
Yeah, tech journalists, it has a worse camera and battery than other phones priced similarly, but how many of those phones have the modular design? How many of them companies offer replaceable parts? How many of them offer the same software support? The recycled materials? Ethically sourced minerals? Incentivizing fair wages? Does the pixel 7a have ANY of those?
If we are here to nitpick we can do so all day, but the real conversation is much broader... and you should be fair on all sides, if you praise your objectivism!
Best statement thus far
Well elaborated, except almost all consumers don't care, they're going to vote with their purchases on which ever phone offers the most value for their money, not some ESG bull crap. I'm afraid Fairphone is going to flop really hard in the coming years if they keep pushing out this kind of "environmentally conscious" activist agenda, instead of maximizing the great feature of DIY, longevity, and offer high-end specs without huge markup.
Hear hear. 100% correct, the day we start comparing all other phones on Fairphone's metrics, they will crash to the ground. If Fairphone falls 30% short of the good parts of a Pixel Pro, a Pixel Pro would probably fall 50% short of the good parts of a Fairphone.
@@lab-virustotally agree
@@lab-virus they already sold enough to be at the 5th generation
One thing I really dislike about smartphone reviews is the double standards when it comes to reviews of Fairphone vs every other manufacturer.
Fairphone is always criticised for its chipset and camera performance relative to similarly priced competitors, but the competitors are never criticised for their massive failures in sustainability, ethics and repairability relative to Fairphone. If we want change within the industry then we actually have to hold the bigger manufacturers to account on these issues. And that means tech journalists actually need to grow some balls and start making these points in every review of the latest Apple/Samsung/Google/etc, rather than pretending none of those issues exist.
true point
Very true. They’re aways like “Phone x or y is much better because you get better value for your money” when that value is hidden in poor labour conditions, questionable material sources or a disregard for the environment by launching 50 “different” models per year. The double standards are insane.
So true. It's almost not a fair comparison.
Like, this phone was made using fair and safe labour practices. They pay factory workers a living wage bonus, no slave labour, no child labour. This makes the phone more expensive but you'll also get 8 years of use so if you divide the price of the phone/8, it's really not bad.
Meanwhile:
"But it doesn't have the best camera though! 🤓"
So child and slave labour are ok if you need a slightly better camera? Let's be real, 99% of people are not shooting the new cover of vogue, they're taking pictures of their cat. Do they really need the best of the best for that?
While I kinda agree, it's also not the reviewers responsibility to do so. They're there to review the product, the end result that you can buy. They're not there to talk about the manufacturing process or company ethics. The whole reason the subject gets brought up in Fairphone reviews is because Fairphone touts their sustainability, their "fairness" as a feature. Do we need better journalistic coverage of these companies, and manufacturing? Yes, but a product review is not the place for it.
Well of course they're going to criticise the processor and camera when the whole point of the phone is to keep using it for as long as possible. If the specs aren't good by todays standard then in 5 years its going to run much worse on a newer OS.
The problem is that we have been spoiled with "premium materials and powerhouse chipsets". And we shouldn't have to pay a huge price for replacing a phone screen or any other part. Fairphone is the right example of how all future smartphones should be - eco-friendly, long-lasting and cheap to repair. And i am confident that over time they will keep getting better by refining their phones.
Yeah, but you can't play Genshin Impact at max settings! And if you zoom way in on photos, they don't look quite as good as the best phone camera in the industry! /s
@@PloopChute As long as these things are more important than saving the planet and with it all of us, humanity deserves to go extinct...
@@PloopChute😂👏
Very well said!
@@PloopChutewho even plays that game, Little kids?
5 Years of Android OS Updates + 8 Years of Security Patch Updates, this is very environmentally friendly. This phone is worth buying
Just to clarify to everyone else since your message is somewhat ambiguous: with that wording it would be 5 years of OS update + 3 more years of security patches.
How about adding on top security and privacy, oh hello iodéOS
my samsung s20 ultra that I bought in 2020 still fast and the back cover are removable too, thanks samsung for the heat that melted the glue
I’m buying it😊
@@___llcustom roms my guy
Well, battery life won't be an issue if you can replace it in under 30 seconds.
to be fair im not sure i want to do that every day though
@@robtektek Well, welcome to the old days, I guess. Although, I don't change my battery when my current died with my old phone. Back then, they sip less power.
@@robtektekYou also don't have to do it everyday most people can charge at work
It's just for the odd day you cannot charge it at all
yeah then it means u already buy 2 batteries and u run through then fast than we run through them in a regular phone. so is the impact on the env really decreased overall?
a regular s21 ultra battery lasts a day with 85% max charge setting. and still does after 2 years and I don't see myself ever replacing it (the phone or battery), at least 10 plus years.
it might be better and more environmentally friendly to buy the best phone and keep it for 10 years or more (even without updates). but then again I barely drop my phone and have never needed to replace a screen on any phone for 20 years that we had phones.
@@handlehandle12322 Just you wait brother, I always used the 85% thing on my S20 Ultra, battery life was decent up till one day where it was like it hit a wall, I swear I can almost feel it getting worse by the day. Taken great care of it ever since I got it and never left it plugged in overnight and everything, all for nothing since it's now 3 years old and definitely is starting to get bothersome to charge halfway through the day!
I have been a happy fairphone user for 3+ years now (I have a fairphone 3). Overall good performance. I have no complaints about the battery, have not changed it since I bought the phone. As my phone use does not require the absolute best camera and I am not a gamer, I am happy to vote with my money for a more ethical choice.
Personally I was just very disappointed with the lack of headphone jack which contributed to me not using a 4 currently.
@@Anonymous-zu7dh Fair, it's good they offer support for their older products.
Personally if I'm gaming using a phone doesnt work for me besides emulators (way lower performance use on average than modern games) is the most gaming I do that or pixel games. There's preferable portables or my desktop instead.
@@Anonymous-zu7dh I still think the Fairphone 5 is worth buying given all the improvements. Sure, they announced in their FAQs they had to compromise in order for the phone to be smaller and have all the extra features. But these days it seems like nearly every phone company is ditching the jack, and the modern phones that stil have them aren't ethically sourced sadly...
Quite a harsh review. The FP5 is a technical miracle. The whole package is really amazing. Why not change that title of the video? Seems a bit too much clickbait-like now. Will you also review other phones in the context of sustainability and repairability? A Pixel has the best camera in the industry, but it's glued shut.
what's the miracle? it's what used to be forever before all companies switched to non-friendly replaceable batteries.
@@handlehandle12322 Fairphone does a ton more than just offer a replaceable battery.
Dropped my old pixel 5a 2 inches and it bricked. Brought to 3 repair stores to be told it would be cheaper to just buy a new phone, which I ended up doing. Wish I could say that was a fairphone, but I live in the US where it’s not yet available so I switched back to Apple 🤦♂️🥲
Jesucristo te ama muchísimo, arrepiéntete de tus pecados y ten perdón de pecados en Su Nombre
@@pablograciasanchez1251 ja, daar versta ik helemaal niks van.
I'm switching from a Pixel 7a to the Fairphone 5. Screen cracked on my 7a and the repair quote I got was 70% of the price of a new 7a. I'm getting a worse phone in every way with the F5 but I hope and suspect it's good enough for me and when it breaks I can repair it myself for a fraction of the cost of what the repair would be on any other phone.
I have the Fairphone 4 for 1.5 year now and I actually want to transition to a pixel phone as next phone. The camera is not just A LOT better with the pixel, it's MUCH MUCH BETTER at low light intensity, because of AI support, while it is really crappy with the Fairphone. Same goes for the mic. You wanna record something, or film a bit of a concert? Forget it with the Fairphone. The Fairphone 4 has still many software issues like the screen light intensity becoming very low at moments and is still stuck with android 12. Seriously, I feel scammed because both the Fairphone 3 and 5 are already with android 13 and the Fairphone 3 got upgraded modular parts. They could have made the modules between the Fairphone 4 and 5 compatible but they didn't. The Fairphone 4 was a in-between phone so that they keep selling. A noble cause they have but the execution is disappointing.
I'm considering a shift to the Fairphone 5 too, would be great if you can update on how it is, particularly to battery life, gaming/performance and camera. Not sure if how much improvement it gets with Camera FV-5 or Open Camera.
@@bassenji5565 ppl should focus on the concert instead of trying to record something that nobody outside of the concert really cares anyway.
@jierenzheng7670 One of the benefits of the fairphone is if your battery degrades it's replaceable. That's been going the way of the dodo bird when people seem to forget you can buy a spare battery and charge it (great for road trips or long outings just swap your backup charged battery). Bonus tip: If I recall the sweet spot is 80% charge for battery longevity and fully discharge (not everyone does that but if it's a serious concern that helps). The phone is real nice for giving you an option that frankly should be expected in phones nowadays (its the future why can't we get a replaceable non soldered battery at least as an option?).
@@theepicduck6922 My impression is that phones have a replaceable battery, just that you will need to go through layers of adhesives to get to it. At least this is my experience with phones within the past 2-3 years.
Very cool, if a small company like Fairphone can do this, there's no reason why other giants can't...
There is a reason. Money. They want to earn as much as possible.
they can but there's no reason/benefits for them to do so
@@antitatr7438bruh bulk ordering costs lower, what type of economy u live in ?
@@black_nicca Bulk manufacturing and changing that process from the ground up all at once, doesn't.
These phone makers have had no incentive to source ethically aquired materials, incentivize fair wages, use as much recycled material as possible or make a modular phone and parts for it, for the last, forever years since they were founded.
Now they would have to change and scrap most of their methods and manufacturing processes, just to what, make the consumer's lives better, make more sustainable and long-lasting devices? Blah, that don't make money!
They have no reason to, it would be a really bald move if they did, but economically, they are stuck in whatever process they have been investing into this whole time, and they can't just modify it overnight just to make a modular phone, sadly.
I so buy the Fairphone and stop crying. I don't want to Samsung or Apple make phones like that.
I think this phone ticks all the boxes for what it's meant to be and would love to see more manufacturers doing a similar thing.
Or at least all the boxes they could tick. If they were bigger they would definitly want to tick more boxes. For example making phones with replacable batteries is probably going to get really easy soon when every manufacturer is forced to do it.
Very strange review. Instead of focusing on who this phone is for the reviewer looks for people it is not for. Wouldn't an unbiased reviewer say it's for the 90% of people who are not heavy gamers and not spending every minute on their phone, instead of sending the message that it is not for the small percentage of heavy gamers that don't have chargers in their office/car/home. Same for the photos, 90% of users do not zoom in to look for the blurry edges. The only thing that saves this review a bit is the fact that the reviewer mentions the fact that you can spread the up front cost over a much longer time. I guess it's not a good idea to give a good review to a device from a small company when 99% of your reviews depend on devices from one large Korean, one American and a couple of Chinese companies.
I think the review is okay, the bigger problem is what you touched on at the end there. Tech reviewers live in absolute fear of being blacklisted by these major manufacturers so they'll never mention the sustainability, ethics and repair flaws in their devices. These videos influence consumers so it's important that reviewers actually speak the truth instead of pretending such issues don't exist.
While I would've liked more empirical data to back up their claims, I appreciate the video's valid criticism, rather than nothing-but-praise videos.
@@matthewnguyen6569 Valid criticism is always welcome. I am not suggesting a nothing-but-praise video. It just doesn't make sense to review a sports car for storage space. This review also doesn't make sense.
Absolutely agree. Image quality is important in photography, not in the smartphone
Expandable storage with microSD cards isn't talked enough about generally. It's such a huge benefit! I have some old phones that broke or that I forgot the code for, but since my photos were stored on microSD cards it was easy to get them backed up. Easily replaceable battery is also so nice! Having a spare battery instead of a power bank has a lot of benefits.
Pixel 7A seems to have a lot of niceties, but they matter little if the phone can't hold for as long. I guess it's a matter of priorities for each person.
That's actually pretty insecure. If you were able to retrieve your media so easily it means your SD card wasn't encrypted, so if you got robbed or lost your phone anyone could easily retrieve ALL your photos and videos.
@@LinuxIsNotAnOperatingSystem That's true. Encryption would have been wise in such a case, but I'm nevertheless happy that I could easily retrieve my old photos.
@LinuxIsNotAnOperatingSystem Different use case in part. If it's primarily family photos, don't see much of a need to secure them short of some extreme cases. If it's your contact log, depending on who you are it's important to secure that. Better safe than sorry but there is reasonable lengths to go. Your family photos for a vacation trip probably don't need to be as secure as fort Knox.
@@theepicduck6922 well, I don't want to have to think about the possibility of some weirdo looking at my family photos, but to each his own
@@imarocketman90 Perhaps a solution for some, but tedious if you have a spotty internet connection and it relies on you trusting a third party with your personal photos. It can get pretty pricey too. A memory card doesn't need a subscription. :^)
What most people are overlooking when it comes to the battery - you can easily carry around 2 additional batteries (that you charged with an external battery charger) in your pocket and change it on the go, it takes less space and is far more convienient than carrying a powerbank and having to use a phone with the power bank plugged in
OR you have a small power bank that is much more versatile and not product-specific and does not require to charge your phone. Seriously, who would get a second battery with them instead of a power bank?
the pro is that you swap it in and it doesn't have to be dangling on to the portable charger.
but damn having to switch batteries around... the powerbank solution works for regular batteries so that argument went out the door?
And next time you'll have to charge it twice.
I think this concept only works if you can charge them externally.
@@raw_000 I had external chargers for old phones
I wish this had a 3.5mm jack. If it could be implemented as an optional module that would be incredible
I feel similarly. It's not a perfect solution, but FairPhone DOES offer a USB to 3.5mm jack converter on their store as an accessory, to allow you to still use 3.5mm devices when the phone isn't plugged in to charge.
The cool thing about it being modular is that Fairphone will sell upgraded spare components, such as the camera, during this model's lifetime (assuming they will continue like they've done so far).
So you can not only replace, but also upgrade some components without having to buy a whole new phone. Who knows, maybe they'll manage to make a better camera in the future.
The battery though will probably not be upgradable as it needs more volume. Good thing you can so easily swap one out whenever you need!
I'm so happy to see a holepunch display and upgrades all over. If I had the money I would seriously consider this as my next phone.
That's right. I had always wondered why smartphones can't be designed like pocket-sized PC's with upgradable and replaceable components, until Fairphone came out and showed that it never was a technology or design limitation, but a philosophical limitation in other companies.
@@khango6138 not philosophical. it just means these giant companies can't sell anyone 10-20 models in a year.
they will or u wish they will? do they sell upgrades to their previous phones? or only spare parts?
@@handlehandle12322 Most of the upgrades have been pretty modest, like an improved screen. The improved camera quality actually came via updates. (Recent Pixel & iOS camera quality gains have been almost entirely from software, with less proprietary solutions taking longer to receive such features.)
For the exact same specifications, any product that is more ethical and/or more environmentally friendly will necessarily involve a lot more extra work / effort (= paying someone to do that work) to take care of ethics / environment, and therefore necessarily be more expensive.
This unfortunately means that customers that do bother about ethics/environment are actually penalized (by paying more) for their effort, and customers that don’t care, are actually rewarded (by paying less).
Therefore, ethical/environmentally friendly products are necessarily less cost competitive, and from there, a less appealing option which likely confined it to a niche.
One of the option to change that may be to have governments (from richer countries) implement a strict « social tax » and « environment tax » on imported products that do not respect good social and environment policies to make those products much, much, much more expensive versus the products that do… : from there, the cheaper alternative will be the one that respect much better social and environment standards.
This is a great option for governments and would drive so much change for the better!
A lot of companies (even those that benefit from unethical practices) would be screaming out for more regulation. Because not everyone that works there is a monster, and most people would rather show up to work with a clear conscience. But then you have these conflicting responsibilities to shareholders, that makes it almost necessary to dance as close as possible to the confines of the law, regarding worker exploitation, taxes etc (and if you don't - someone else will). So what we need is stronger regulations so that the Board of Execs can turn to their investors and say "we actually HAD to shut down that cobalt mine - our hands are tied".
I'll probably buy an extra battery, that definitely fixes the battery life problem, and its easier to put in your bag than a powerbank, ideal for music festivals
You are better off with a power bank which is more versatile, compatible with all your products and you don't have to switch off your phone for it. Better buying an extra battery when yours starts getting old, or you end up with two old batteries at the same time.
@@bassenji5565 doesn't really solve my specific use case where it's way better to go from 0 to 100% in a short moment. Also this summer I found out the hard way that charging a phone in really hot weather can actually be impossible, where a battery swap wouldn't generate extra heat.
@@bassenji5565What if I don't have time to wait to charge my phone?
Battery out and battery in is 0-100 in 20 seconds.
No power bank can do that
@@bassenji5565 I think the battery option is still less cluttered. He did specify 'bag' but they fit in your trouser pockets more easily, no annoying cable either. But these ones are 40 euros, which is yikes, and at present they don't even specify a capacity, which is a worry (the one that comes with the phone is a paltry 2500?). Also they're described as being specific to that phone... which I would think is a major oversight, as I'm sure there are plenty of other phones out there that use a standard off the shelf phone battery.
@@bassenji5565 Yeah, a hot-swappable battery like the old videocameras had, would be super sweet.
I think Fairphone has a whole different target audience, where users like me perfectly fit in.
Did I just missed it or didn't you even bother to mention, that there is still the possibility that performance flaws in battery life and camera might be counteracted via software optimization in prospective updates? :/ Edit: They also could come up with bigger batteries in the future.
I think the reviewer was fair in evaluating the phone as it is now rather than what it MIGHT or COULD be in the future.
Yeah, the whole sales concept of this device is its longevity (old devices get _better_ with proper updates). Ignoring the potential for updates on features that are differentiated almost entirely by software optimizations, is to ignore the principle appeal of a device such as this. The Pixel & iPhone have had _serious_ show-stopping issues when some models released, but _updates_ fixed a lot of that. Sadly, no phone remains useable without updates; so, it's disingenuous to compare hardware & software without also comparing update philosophies.
The move for an IOT processor is honestly genius because chip makers have to adhere to much longer product lifespans with those
Fairphone shows it is possible. Now we need community action to pressure the legislators so all phones are as repairable and long lasting as the Fairphone.
No need for legislators if people just make smart choices.
Stop thinking that everything needs regulations. If something is genuinely good, it will be successful and others will adapt.
Or just put your money where your mouth is
@@WolfofnoStreeta majority of people will always line their pockets before being ethical. Most people would only buy a fairphone if it was genuinely the best phone regardless of ethics
@@WolfofnoStreet Because its a fundamentally more expensive and less profitable to make phones that way, the best choice for any major company has been shown to be yearly phones, with difficult to replace batteries, proprietary chargers and superficial environmentalism. There's a reason child labour was made illegal, and didn't just naturally disappear with market pressures. Why do you not like common sense regulation? Is an iphone with a USB C charger and a replaceable battery really such a terrible idea?
5 -8 years suport on the Android side is actually amazing and other companies should follow up on this practice. Well done Fairphone ❤.
My s21fe will do 5
Also something to take into account: with the Pixel 7A you won't have security updates for nearly as long and fixing something that breaks or replacing the battery is hard. You'll probably get a new phone within 4 years whereas the Fairphone should last at least 8 and probably 10 years. One purchase of €700 vs 2x€500 will make the Fairphone significantly cheaper.
This is why planned obsolescence exists. Companies figured out that people don't think too much about this, so they can rake in more profits by selling products which aren't meant to last.
New phones won't be cheaper. Cost of phones will increase every year.
Who knows after 5 years pixel phones may cost 1000$.
So this phone is really good.
EU legislature should take it and make it the minimal standard for all other phone manufacturers, as they did with replaceable batteries and USB-C.
It's a great idea that can be inproved over time with software optimization fixing partially the battery not being particularly good and cameras. Considering that fairphone did that in the past and you can upgrade both battery and camera by yourself this phone is great. It's a relatively small company so we have to wait until it can reach others quality, but it can help improving the market on the ethical side nontheless.
upgrading the camera sensor won't do anything if the processing algorithm chops aren't there.
@@四as correct, infact I just heard about that directly from them si I hope they will fix the software soon
At least you can have a spare battery and change it on the go. How many other phones can do that?
i carry around a power bank for my phone and can charge it 3x over if i need to
This whole video seems like it's trying to protect the status quo by comparing this very unique product to flagship devices. While this is of course not a device for power users, I feel like the emphasis should have been more on overall usability of the phone and if it's a viable option for someone looking to do their part in making our world a little more sustainable. The most concerning part of the review was the battery life so I wish he could have gone into more real world usage of the device to see if this is one where we really do need an external pack or if it's ok for light phone users. Overall I feel this phone is worth looking into more and I'll be watching other takes on it to make an informed purchasing decision. Nevertheless, big ups to Fairphone for putting all of this in the world.
The only part of these reviews that bugs me is how much camera quality is pushed like everyone is a photographer when most of us struggle with a good selfie. The fair phone is interesting.
What i'd like to see:
- rubber instead of metal band around the phone
- rubber lip to protect the display (e.g. like on the nokia xr21)
- 3,5mm jack
- way better camera quality
I highly recommend fairphone! Ive had my Fairphone 3 for over three years, and have yet to have to do any repairs. They are built different. I broke a phone a year multiple years in a row before fairphone, it was crazy.
I work in childcare, my poor phone gets dropped on a daily basis. No screen cracks, nothing. It bounces right back every time.
Battery lasts all day for me, as someone who watches tik toks every break and commute I have, but also has a screen free job.
Highly recommend
I've had a Fairphone 3 for years now and it's still great. Just recently got another major Android upgrade. If you want a phone that does basics well and lasts a very long time, I think the Fairphone is a great decision.
I could care less about the specs. As long as I can repair it, I can take photos, and I can connect to the internet and do social media stuff, this phone is perfect.
Wish they brought it to the US though
Could you please consider shooting at one frame rate so different parts of the video won't stutter?
It would be more fair to highlight the improvements to the fairphone 4. Obviously the pixel is cheaper and has better cameras. They never claimed to have flagship specs.
7 years of updates and parts. It is more than worth it for most people. They just need to work incredibly hard on the camera processing. With the sensors they are using, its up to FF to get the processing right. I doubt this will happen, but I would love to see a sub 6in version.
Yes, the camera processing is, for most users, the biggest weakness. I hope Fairphone themselves can work on it, but for now a viable solution is installing third party camera softwares, because the actual camera hardware is fine.
Not the phone we need, but the phone we deserve.
this guy actually said that plastic was a bad backplate material, as if glass is any good. "Phew thank god I only have to replace the rear glass when i dropped it!"
I am using my Samsung note5 since 17th April 2017.
Love my FP4, really love the fact that a spare battery is 29 Euro and I don't need, a heat gun, isopropyl alcohol, nerves of steel and an hour of my time to replace it.
5 year warranty is great.
I think this is a great idea overall; especially the modular and replaceable parts being sold directly from Fairphone. This also means the company can sell upgrade components as well.
I presume that some upgrades they could offer is a bigger battery, better camera, glass backing option, improved screen, etc.
Another thing that wasn't mentioned is that this isn't available in the US, but I wouldn't be surprised if it does soon afterwards.
I also wouldn't be surprised if major smartphone companies like and Apple and Samsung adopt a similar offering; modular design, replacement & upgrade components sold directly, etc. If that was the case maybe they can sell the phone itself for less money since the replacement & upgrade parts would make up the profit difference.
Haha yeah, Samsung and Apple + less money, we'd wish !
At least the Fairphone 4 has been released in North America for some time via Murena. Hopefully they do the same soon enough.
Recently, Apple’s new head of hardware, John Ternus, just shut down this idea. The financial success of these companies rely on planned obsolesence. They actively make it harder to repair their products. Apple tries to undermine the EUs right to repair by lending their repair kit to a ridiculous high price.
Keeping a charged spare battery on hand for $45 makes this even better.
The battery drain is caused by *Google* Android 13. Try the other supplied OS - /e/OS - which is based on LineageOS and does not do all of Google background activities ...
Is the camera good for artists? I sometimes take pictures of my work for class or to post online. My iphone x and galaxy s9+ worked just fine as far as quality, how comparable is it?
Never going to watch the CNET review again.
If you plan on using your phone until it stops getting security updates, the 7a and the fairphone 5 both come out to about 100$ per year of ownership.
(calculations done using the pricing information from this video, and the 7a's promise of security updates until 2028 = 5 years, where the fairphone 5's promise of security updates until 2031 = 8 years of use.)
I would imagine camera processing can probably be improved with software over time, at least.
Yeah, that's an overblown issue, considering it could be resolved with an update.
iPhone & Pixel have had _plenty_ of software issues when they first release a model.
My thing with the cameras is that they can be upgraded. Sure the Pixel 7A has better camera now, but what about in 5 years? You can upgrade the Fairphone 5 Cameras which you can't with the Pixel. Same goes with the screen, battery, and in theory even the SOC. I know that Fairphone selects its SOC in part for ease of accessibility for manufacturing and consumers. That IoT processor is probably more plentiful and more importantly is a processor Qualcomm is more willing to divulge schematics for since they try to encompass full right to repair, not just spare parts.
As for the battery, as you've said you can easily fix that by swapping the battery out. What used to be a standard feature for Android before plastic backs were done away with for "more premium materials" with aluminum and glass (then promptly wrap them in a plastic protective so as to not damage your expensive phone🤦♂). Lastly, not everyone wants a Pixel because not everyone wants to use Android because of Google's spyware built-in. A third-party called Murena sells the Fairphone 4 in the US with /e/OS; a de-Googled fork of Android with a focus on Privacy while also attempting to maintain compatibility with most Android apps that would be locked out with using say a mobile version of Linux such as Ubuntu Touch (ie being locked out of most banking apps because they're only compatible with Android).
The point is that I don't think Fairphone is selling a smartphone so much as a vision. Their end goal I don't think is to take over the market from Apple, Google, and Samsung. Rather, it's push the industry in a more positive, more environmentally friendly direction. One that puts consumers and the environment first, not shareholders. It's the same vision as the Framework. Both companies know full well that they'll likely never have the same R&D, Human, and Financial resources as the big dogs do. But they can in their small way help move the market and slowly but surely make it into something more sustainable for all. One where we care about the humans who make our devices, the environment is not needlessly destroyed, and expensive consumer electronics are not treated as disposable
Yeah exactly: How will photos from this year's iPhone or Pixel, compare with photos with this year's Fairphone, compare 5 years from now? I would be rather surprised if the iPhone or Pixel got any significant camera software improvements (those will go to new models instead) whereas the Fairphone will probably get significant improvements during its support period.
Looks like my next phone especially because of an SD card slot.
_YES._ I would much rather swap files rapidly to an external drive, than wait for files to transfer both up & down just to maintain enough 'cloud' space for device backups. Removable storage is easy, faster, more private, & much more efficient, than remote storage.
It's the perfect phone!
You're spoiled by hazardous components!
For battery life, they could provide a phone case which could have a battery pack attached as an accessory. Yes, it would make phone thick and heavy but its way better than to keep spare batteries or powerbank.
When picking so much on the cameras, it is overlooked, that you can later upgrade the cameras, when Fairphone provides better hardware. It has already happened with the FP3 to FP3+. The pixel will be outdated at some point, but the Fairphone can just have a new camera, new battery or new screen installed and be up to date again. Fairphone is even trying to push Qualcomm to make replaceable chipsets, so your phone could never become outdated.
Heck, it gets guaranteed system updates, & system updates are what brings the better camera quality anyway.
@@prophetzarquon1922 Exactly!
There is nothing that is not to love.
Fairphone is a small company, so i suspect the camera issue isnt really one of the actual cameras themselves, but the software that operates them and processes the images. You can install "other" companies' camera software APKs to achieve more with the same hardware. For me it isn't worth it because most of photos are taken with a separate camera (most smartphones can't deal with distance well when birdwatching), so im fairly happy with my own FP4.
Regarding Power Users:
I don't think there is a phone out there that would lasts all day.
Regarding price:
It's a smaller company competing with gaint multi billion dollar companies.
Gaint companies always going to have unfair advantages with manufacturing goods.
Especially if or when the gaint companies are selling their products at a loss.
Not true, the iPhone 13 Pro Max and 14 Pro Max, along with S23 Ultra and One Plus 11 lasts all day and then some.
16+ hours of heavy usage?
Can I buy the fairphone and add in a better camera?
I love that the "elephant in the room" is how much better the Pixel is for gaming and picture-taking, and not its use of child slavery or long-term negative impact on the planet.
I wonder if there was a problem with the battery of your test model.
I'm using my Fairphone 5 quite a bit every day and never did it drop below 40% at the end of the day.
How much does it cost to buy charger, protective glass and other stuff for iphone ? For that price you can buy half of spare parts for fair phone. For one screen replacement for iphone you can buy whole new faor phone too
Can the upgrades and repairs accessible in the other countries? like the Philippines? that is the big question. I still choose Samsung because of the accessibility and affordability like the A series phone.
The Google Pixel has to be thrown away completely when the battery wears down after a few years. Also only has 6 years security, 2 OS updates. From Google themselves. Make some decent comparisons will you.
I have to wonder how many people are playing Genshin Impact on their way to work. Speaking as a fairphone 4 user it is more than enough for 90% of the market. As consumers we need to start voting woth our feet and our conscience. A harsh review, and second the point about tech reviewers holding "the big ones" to higher standards on ethics and the environment.
What if you install GCam on this? Would it improve the camera results?
Most likely.
Probably
What a bad review.
Can you wirelessly charge the battery? I am very interested.
As an avg user the only thing which concerns me is the battery life which needs to be optimized, I think the images you show are fine enough. The price may be a bit more but it is well worth it even more if it help reduce E-waste while also giving a push to consumers.
Here is what I did:
Bought the degoogled Murena version with e/os/ preinstalled. Updated everything, charged everything, switched to dark mode, screen brightness 30%, everything above that hurt my eyes anyway. Set Wi-Fi on automatic, so that it turns on automatically when a known safe network is in reach. I don't play games on a phone. I have a battery for over 48 hours.
This phone gives me a nice feeling to think about owning.
However, though it is able to be supported over 5 updates and 8 years of security updates, is the snapdragon processor going to be able to keep up?
The phone (IMO) is only as usable as the processor allows it to be.
If it struggles with some tasks now, is it really going to hold up to the demands is the OS in 5 updates time?
Owning the phone for the first 2 years might be fine, but the thought that I may be forced to change a device because the processor can’t keep up with in board demand is a worry and counteracts the fact that I can replace components as they age.
Exactly my thoughts on this. Unless they offer upgrades for motherboard and easy to switching out internal stuff to new board... i dont see it making past 3 with flying flags
Well, I've been quite happily using 10 year old devices right up until the cellular networks no longer support them, & the _only_ issue I've had is with apps\services becoming unavailable due to lack of system updates... So, the 5 years of system updates would mean 4 more years of usability than any of the latest & greatest handsets I've bought thus far.
The battery life you say is poor could you upgrate the battery or can you only use the same or is the phone not very efficient? If the latter is trur be cool if you take parts from other phones like camera or even chipset and upgrade
Why aren't the releasing upgraded parts for the same phone? You make one phone and you sell upgraded modular parts? From what I understand, you can only replace them with the same standard ones.
the fair trade argument is not relevant for the majority of potential customers . software support, reparability, and parts availability is the important part. if they can bring the performance at midrange level in a future generation, way more people will pay that extra money if the phone is at least good enough. for now we can see improvement but not there yet
Rather distressing that the only reason he can think that someone would buy a sustainable phone is for feeling good about oneself and desiring recognition rather than because it’s the right thing to do. Somewhat telling on himself there
Just pre-ordered my Fairphone 5 😊
The price of this thing is wild
The prices of other phones are wild if you consider how cheap they produce their phones.
Nah, most if not all phones sold at this price range seem very premium and are really great flagships but a below average phone for such a price? I don’t think putting them together like legos would cut it as a $700 feature for me.
I love the idea of repairability and I certainly wouldn't mind spending a little extra or having a slightly thicker phone but in order for these things to be truly successful they have to actually compete with other flagships on the market and This just doesn't seem to do that.
They will never be able to. The point is that the prices offered by other manufacturers are not sustainable and use questionable and often outright unethical ways to get prices down. Fairphone price is the price of ethical standards. But having said that, their phones have improved greatly between each iteration.
Glad owner of a iodéOS FP4, I will certainly move to the FP5 once the OS is ready!
Reviewer’s outlook is running…
Comparison to pixel was not handled well in a review. The whole idea behind a fairphone price tag is that you are paying more for materials being sorced responsibly, what can be is recycled and people on every stage of creation of it get paid well. I can understand you guys compare price and features - but you didn't mentioned that. And for me that enviromentalism and fairness in supply and production chains is a feature. As laudly as you speak about Pixel's better camera you should say that Google does not do all the things fairphone does.
So yeah - tech reviews are in this weird place where they recognize that something needs to be done, and then just a second later miss the point totally and revert to a standard tech review. I know people care about photo quality. It's a selling point as well. But with a product like that comperative weight of that selling point in a total score should be adjusted.
The pixel was honestly an unfair comparison, especially when talking about cameras. That's what pixels are known for and excel in. Felt disingenuous. Could've also gone a bit more in detail that the sensor itself is decent but held back by software. Right now the narrative makes it seem as if it's simply cheaply built.
Is it just me or does the fairphone camera look much better than the pixel camera in the photos shows, especially the tomato...
Exactly. I don't see anything particulary bad with the FF camera.
I think that once RAM becomes even more miniaturized, we may be closer to a “Framework” style upgradable form factor that would extend life even further. Being able to swap out camera sensors, lenses, double the RAM, add or subtract wireless charging, downgrade or upgrade the screen for power savings… I’d love to see in 3-5 years phones that can hold their own after ten years with only incremental upgrades.
Battery wise I'd make this point:
fast charging a battery from empty: 15 minutes to an hour
normal charging a battery: 1 to 3 hours
swapping the used battery for a readily charged one: roughly 10 or 15 seconds depending on how steady your hands are.
Is the picture quality a hardware issue or is it purely in the software advantage that Google has?
I think this video misses the point, "objective" review or not. You simply can't and maybe even shouldn't measure a disruptive technology that has to cut necessary corners to achieve its disruption on the tech it wants to disrupt. Yes, your instincts tell you it's right but this is not a apples to apples comparison. Fairphone are literally reinventing the mobile phone here and serve a new demographic that are not interested in the industry's status quo. To tell people that this environmentally friendly, DIY repairable, humane, and well equipped phone is not worth it compared to more powerful but unrepairable soon-to-be e-waste phones, is counterproductive in my opinion.
It's like saying don't buy a Tesla because it charges longer and has less range than a fossil fuel Porsche, despite all its other advantages.
$800 for a single phone that will take you all the way to 2032 is better than a $500 phone every year until 2032
The battery drain indeed is much more noticeable on FP4 compared to my Samsung Notes, S & A series phones.
This is my 1st Fairphone and i notice that some things struggle (games), but Streaming and otherwise is good.
I liked that you compared to Pixel and if Google offer the same OS/Security updates years. I would buy Pixel.
I need to upgrade an old Samsung A02s and will be going for FP5.
Im not a poweruser and being self repairable with several years of updates.
I am happy to wait for a Xmas deal before i purchase.
I thank you for the great and balanced review. Highlights for features and fair comparison.
Kudos to Fairphone & CNET team
Just ask yourself:
Is it more importent for me to have the best performing phone and be responsable that children have to climb between electronic waste,
or make maybe not the best pictures but be part of a movement that wants the earth to be a kinder and healthier one.
For me the answer was easy, I´ll get mine next week.
I do wonder about taking raw images and and using a desktop app to enhance it.
Is the Pixel 7A gaming performance and battery life better than the Fairphone 5? Even with the G2 issues?
It's like going backward but in a good way.
I wish the phone was smaller, but for the rest I'm tempted to switch !
For a relatively new company compared to the others fairphone is doing good. in time it will be able to develop its parts such as cameras and chipsets but for now what we could appreciate from it is that we don't need to worry about high costs of repair if the screen is cracked or if the battery is not at its maximum health anymore. Its humanitarian and environmentally friendly as well.
Does it have multi user ? Multi mode guest, owner, child, friend
Have been holding on a 1+ 5T since 2017, first on Google then on Lineage. Looking for a new phone ... might give Fairphone a try seems OK for a daily driver.
How is the speaker and speaker volume?
Well, the battery life is not a big issue in this case because I can easily replace it with the spare one. Also considering the loooong usage life, it's likely that more efficient batteries will be made over time.
Same goes for the camera...
I miss back when every smart phone was like this, before they figured out the glued-on screen and glass back. Sure, they didn't sell replacement parts on their official websites but you can always get third party parts. My first smart phone was a milestone 2, and that thing was easy to take apart. Back then you didn't have to sacrifice performance or camera for repairability.
5 years warranty and 8 years security is very good. Battery and processor is a let down. It worth extra for better support, good for a banking phone.
Maybe i just don't know how to use a camera but i have never ever ever taken a picture of a landscape and then zoomed to the edges to make sure i got all the detail of a building, if i want a picture of details, i usually just take a picture of said detail. I never look at my travel pictures that closely, as long as i get my subject in focus and the overall area of where the picture was taken.
I so wish the Fairphone had a bigger customer base in the UK.
The question of how much we're willing to continue sacrificing the health and safety of our environment for the sake of better performance; versus on the other hand accepting a higher price point and some inconveniences to work around (such as, as you mention, investing in extra batteries to make up for the power drain of the main one) is a decision I think we all need to be making very carefully, and questioning how much benefit we're getting out of the marginal improvements versus how much more they cost - not to our wallets, but to our world.
It's valid for different people to find that it either is or is not worth the trade-offs for them... Personally, I think that when you're looking at the big picture, FairPhone 5 is exactly the kind of tech that it is vital to have on the market and getting as much press as possible so that even if it's not for everyone, those people who are willing to pay more for the care taken and for the long product life can DO so, and still be getting a solidly usable and convenient modern product.
What confuses me is how no mainstream phone manufacturer with greater resources at hand realises that by adopting this same approach to making mobile phones they would be head and shoulders above everyone else. Imagine a fairphone 5 like phone but with flagship apple or samsung specs. Why would you want anything else?
Can you upgrade the ram and processer
JUST GOT MINE