I hesitated due to the screen size (as well as the cost!) but I have to say that now … I love it. 5" is about perfect, a little big for my hands admitted but nice on my eyes! My FP2 went wrong the other week and for a day or two I went back to an old Moto Defy+ (3.7")… the screen seemed tiny (lower resolution being part of the problem mind), two days later I’d “had” to buy a spare 5" smartphone so as to read emails and webpages.
My partner has a sony Z3 compact, which is a lovely size (and a rather nice “thing” all round) - but there is no way you would fit the modularity of the FP2 into that space envelope. The Z3 Compact is a non maintainable sealed glass brick.
If something kills the fairphone it will be cost, not size. My new “spare” is a motoG which cost me £129; identical size to the FP2, the screen res and memory are smaller than the FP2 (though for £179 I could have matched the FP2’s specs) … and it is, sadly, a pretty good device - runs Android 6, takes SD cards, waterproof to 1m (IP67), highly responsive and bright screen. Lower processing power apparently - but you’d never know.
TOTALLY AGREE!! i thought it was me liking more manageable things. I agree that FP1/FP1U size is absolutely perfect, my thumb can go across the screen with no problem and i reach all bits.
I think they should take the FP1U base and upgrade its components as people wish. For instance if the processor can now be better, create an upgrade so we can buy it and install it or send it to them to do so if so we wish… or if th camera can be better, create a better camera component which again, we can purchase and upgrade our phone… i really thought it would be like this for Fairphone!
I am actually super happy with almost everything about my FP1U, except that my battery life requires me to change a new one… but wouldnt it be great to just be able to buy each bit as we need it and this way extending the phone´s core life?
Yes, exactly! I would never buy such a big phone like FP2, even when my FP1U goes dead …Which would be terrible for Fairphone’s image, then yes, I thought too that we could upgrade by changing/buying new components.
I also can say that I am happy with almost everything about my FP1U …But still waiting for a system upgrade since last year without any news from FF’s side!! For instance, without using my phone a lot at all, I too have to recharge the battery more than once a day, which really is annoying, and sometimes again (I let once repair/replace the motherboard because of the same issue) the phone doesn’t want to charge straight away…
@andype & @pariggi as you can see in this thread your posts were moved to you are not the only ones who don’t like the FP2’s screen size. But your wish for an upgraded FP1 is just not possible, let me explain:
For the FP1 Fairphone simply bought the license to use a chinese’s phone internal and external design. They never had the right to change it, nor was that phone ever designed to be changed.
The FP2 is the first phone designed by Fairphone and the first Phone ever that was designed to be upgraded - although that was never the main reason for the modularity.
When designing the FP2 Fairphone prioritized sustainability and repairability far higher than subjective user-preferences like the screen size.
We had discussions about different FP2 models like a Fairpad (or Fairblet), but until Fairphone becomes a larger player in the game with enough funds it’s simply not economic for them to invent, design and produce different models.
Thanks paulakreuzer for the explanation, but it’s still not explain why we can’t for example have a new battery when it dies or why we still wait for this long time expected FP1 system upgrade.
ok, thanks for moving it. am sure we are not the only ones i read in the
past other opinions but its hard to give our opinions when they are taken
as a bad thing and being disqualified.
I didn’t mean to dismiss your opinion. It’s a valid opinion to want a smaller screen than the FP2 has, but still want a fair/modular/upgradable-smartphone.
I was just stating that the way you suggested - by upgrading the FP1 - is almost impossible, and the the other way discussed in this thread - by designing an FP2 mini - is very unlikely for the next years.
One more to chime in: The size of the FP2 made me hesitate, coming from a 4.3" Z1 Compact. Now I have it, the 5" seems acceptable, though still a bit bulky, so I’d also have preferred a slightly smaller size (just for future reference :-p).
Tendencies as I could read them just a few days ago does show that sizes of smartphones rather increase than decrease. This can also be easily reviewed when comparing different devices over the last few years.
Somehow the majority of customers seem to prefer larger devices over smaller.
To stay in focus FP should not drift too far off.
I wish also a FP mini. But I think the most importent is that the phone has a good screen-to-body ratio (>66%). It is useless, when you have a small screen like an iPhone with 4,7" and the body is the same as other phones with a 5,2" display.
A phone in the size of Motorola Droid Mini or S4 Mini would be great. (125x62x9)
If you look through differend forums our anouncments there are a lot of people searching for a phone, which suites in a pocket without any restriction.
The new “Minis” from other brands with at least 5" are just a bad joke.
Fitted body size of ~125x63x9, ~4,3"-4,5" screen with a resolution of 720x1280, Android 7x, Dual-SIM, decent cameras, at least 2 GB RAM, 16GB + expandable Memomery, LTE and a battery capacity of 2400mAh it would be perfect.
Or something like the Sony Xperia Z3/5 Compact just as a Fairphone.
Completely agree. Moreover, I found myself thinking (many times) that my FP1U is till well worth having for the size it has! Forget for a moment the fact that it weights like a rock… It feels great in the hand!
I think the Iphone SE is the best compact device out there (even sony’s are good but the it comes to software and…), for someone who wnats to stay productive and use a phone for:
Call
Email
Music
Casual browsing when in need
I think something near 4" is the best… I think a lot of people in this community would share this main interests… After all lot of us are stil using android 4.2.
In all probability there will be no Fairphone 2 mini. Fairphone are currently planning the Fairphone 3.
And Fairphone want your input on that:
“Lastly, in this concepting phase we do a lot of research to make sure that a new model is as appealing as possible to as may people. If you want to provide us with your input, please sign up to our newsletter where we will send out soon a survey to gather insights in the opinions and ideas of our community.”
I don’t know whether that survey was already sent, but I guess if so, there would have been some thread on it in this forum … can’t find any, so perhaps you want to sign up.
I have always preferred small sized phones too, so I would be in favor of a second fairphone product line “mini”.
But, I can’t find any statistics about the market share for these. Sure, the brands are building mini/compact/whatever phones but how are going those sales compared to the trendy wider screens ?
Even then, I know a bunch of people who want a cheap and simple phone because they have no use of all the internet features and apps (or often don’t know how to use them).
Cheap does not go well with fair, and I’m pretty sure most of these people would not buy a more expensive mini phone just for ethical reasons, because they don’t want to spend too much money on a tool they don’t use much.
So even if there is market for this, it might not (or might ?) be a good fit for Fairphone.
Most of people I know that really use their smartphone all the time and for many different features do prefer big screens.
Does anyone have some numbers here ? I’d love to be proven wrong !
… don’t know, but make it smaller. People that are not hunting for benchmarks don’t need a pocket cheese tray. iPhone SE form factor should be recommended as MAX!
Lino
I was just referring to the idea of upgrading FP1 components.
np