Except that they’re a very small company that has never offered a choice in models before.
3 Likes
Well, in my eyes memory expansion option is a more sensible idea. I never owned an iPhone for the very reason.
3 Likes
Maybe so, but that doesn’t make it realistic to expect you will get what you want.
A fringe use case in an already small niche market? Fairphone don’t run a charity 
.
You already have the sensible choice to question how you even fill up internal memory in the first place, and if that could be avoided.
3 Likes
While I understand your reasoning, I have to agree to the others here, that it simply is not realistic.
My guess would be, that a larger memory chip would mean another layout of the PCB; even if it’s “just” the socket for the new memory chip. In addidtion the programming would have to be changed to address the additional memory.
That makes a redesign just for testing the market not sensible for a small company like Fairphone. The same goes for switching to a version with more memory, since the money this would require would result in a much higher price. It’s not just the price for the new memory chip but also e.g. the programming for the machines producing the PCB and soldering the parts.
When asking “Why didn’t they …” one has to keep in mind, that developing the phone started a few years ago. This means, the hardware costs have to be estimated and at some point a decision has to be made to get things done. In the end there will always be those questions “Why not a better SoC/camera/display/…?” or “Why not more memory?”; and the argument “That wouldn’t have cost much more!”.
But 10 Euro here and 20 Euro there would - in the end - add up to a much more expensive phone.
2 Likes
The memory chip probably stacked on the SoC, I think that’s a common PCB construction method for the past few years and I think 128GB would take up no extra space - I think that higher amounts would also be feasible. However, it would require another SKU to be created and distributed, would require more testing of hardware and software and more spares stock for Fairphone to hold. I agree with most that it’s not realistic, but for commercial/logistic reasons not for technical reasons.
As well as uSD card expansion doesn’t the FP3 support OTG? So USB memory sticks and external hard drives can be connected. I know this is actually less convenient than using a uSD card, but it is another option and potentially less costly than uSD cards when that additional storage isn’t needed continuously but only occasionally.
Cheers 
2 Likes
Well, according to iFixIT (Step 9 of the teardown), the memory chip is a Samsung KMRH60014A-B614
I am admittedly not an expert in this kind of matter. On the Samsung homepage of this chip I don’t find the specifications. But according to everything I do find when searching on the web, Samsung LPDDR3 chips are not available with 128GB. 64GB seems to be the maximum there.
So, a change for 128GB would mean a different chip with probably a different layout, even if the size does not change. That would make up for a technical reason, wouldn’t it?
And there is another point, I stumbled upon when searching for infos:
LP standing for Low Power seems to imply, that the chip is neccessarily soldered to the board. Chips that can be plugged in/unplugged are “simple” DDR, i.e. not Low Power.
That would mean a higher energy consumption and possibly a less long lasting battery.
And a socket for the possibility to change the memory chip would clearly take up more space.
Book applications and Bible application and such steals much. It all ads up to filling it up. I can see my system in itself is +8 GB for itself. Screen recorder as the google bullshit of not letting you use the SD card. So it is a continual moving of things to the SD-Micro to keep it slimed down. Overall it just fills up and 64GB seems to little even with an external source at hand like a microSD.
sorry for the late response only allowed 10 post on my first day in here
In regards of a second SD Card - it is possible and has been done but it does not take away from the importance of having internal space that does not fill up because of forced use by Google Android insanity. Purposly making designed obsolescence by this.
You clearly do not comprehend my issue and faulty give me a no working solution. I am in full understanding of bigger SD cards are out there but it does not solve the issue at hand for me.
Well i guess you people are just not me then. My issue won’t be solved because others don’t have that issue you know 
Not necessarily, if a possible solution would lie in the answer to the question why others wouldn’t have the issue 
.
Sure, not every possible solution might help you with your use case, but that doesn’t disqualify looking at what works for others as a method.
1 Like
They might not use the mobile as I do. Books and stuff for Mobile apps takes up a lot of space and so do video. Maybe rooting the mobile might take some of the google insanity away but I would not be surprise that if that is not the case to the fullest extend.
Yes, I do!
First point:
You explained your need for internal space not before posting #19, while you cited my posting #10
Second point:
I exactly replied to what you said and what I cited in the posting, since you did not specify, that it is only the internal space you are running short of.
Try reading your post and the replies again. I was not the only one interpreting your statement
with 64 GB internal and 400 External and I’ve been running short for a long while
in a way, that all the 464 GB are filling up and not just the 64 GB internal storage.
Sorry for that misunderstanding, but that is not (totally) on me.
Please be more precise next time, before saying someone does not comprehend.
Edit:
I really would love it, if you could keep the religious stuff out of this topic.
If you want to discuss the bible or other books etc. please open a new topic for that in the Discuss category.
And, yes, I am aware, that other users might have started the discussion or joined in. So it is just to keep that discussion leading furhter astray from the topic.
2 Likes
My bad if it sounded like I was thinking of the issue of filling both although the 400 GB is pretty full as well - but I know i can just upgrade the external for issues of filling that up.
It was to point out that I already had a pretty big external source and that it is no solution for problem with the internal. Even if I get a 1 or 2 terabyte micro SD the issue of the internal won’t go away. With more internal the less time on moving things to the micro SD as it can be done less often to get space on the internal.
Dearly Regards
- DarkiJah
I’m writing this on my mobile so sorry for any mistakes or other posts for that matter.
Yes, but that stuff is clearly meant to be stored an an external SD-card and does not require more internal space. And that is, why I stick to my statement, that an added 64 GB internal space would fill up pretty fast. A much larger SDXC-card or an external memory would be much more sensible for that kind of storage use.
1 Like
Nope… Won’t work with more external space I know this by experiance of years of use.
Maybe root can make it easier for going around the issues - some applications uses tricks for saving on the micro SD and then needs to put it in specific folder on the card.
Some applications like my Bible Apps I like to have on my mobiles internal space for use at any instant even when I take out my Micro SD for file transfer.
I moved some posts to their own topic …
Religious discussion … please feel free to give this topic a proper title
Please keep this topic here on-topic.
2 Likes
Seriously?
Books and videos do work from internal space only?
I just wonder, how I manage with my FP1, FP2 and the BQ tablet I call my own.
All those media files are stored on a SD-card and I am accessing them without any trouble.
Well, in the end it clearly is irrelevant, as you said. Everyone has an individual profile of useage and one’s experience does not need to be relevant for someone else.
Plus: I guess it is established by now, that the FP3 comes with 64 GB and that this will not change someday soon.
Edit:
Thx!
You beat me to it.
Edit 2:
@JesusIsGodAlmighty
Your added explanation came after my posting, so I cited the point I was referring to.
Tell that to Google who closes one feature down after another and makes it difficult for the user to do what he wants with his phone.
1 Like
You are right on that.
While there is in most cases at least a workaround to keep using the SD-card/external storage, this is not neccessarily an easy thing to do.
E.g. this topic: