Getting a phone repaired was for a long time a big issue. Availability of parts, prices for repairs, sometimes even damage on other parts after repairs.
Companies wanted you to buy a new phone. They wanted you as part of the cashflow, whether you were already a customer or not.
have you compared spare part prices? They are way higher than Fairphone’s. Also Fairphone makes it super easy to get them, when you want an apple spare part, its kinda hard to get and then repair it. Most people just a buy a new one, because it’s so expensive.
And Fairphone is no different: After all, selling new phones is how they can earn their salaries.
In other words, selling stuff is what (all) companies are made for, and Fairphone is no different. They are not a nonprofit organization, are they. Think about that.
Apple prices are always high(er), that’s no secret. Veblen goods and all.
Still, there is a steep price difference between repairing your iPhone’s broken screen and buying a new phone. I haven’t yet seen anybody buy a new iPhone because of a broken screen. They might use it as an excuse to buy a new one, but it’s just a pretext.
Yes, that’s their perk. And the reason I bought one.
TL;DR: I agree accessible spare parts are Fairphone’s big advantage, but I don’t agree they are the only ones to sell spare parts.
But Fairphone DOES NOT try to push you to buy a new phone, they push you to keep your old one. This is against all capitalistic rules. This is acting like a non profit, while not being one. They are not maximising profit at all costs, they are not just green washing.
So think about thatv Fairphone is a for profit company, that does things that are AGAINST making profit.
I just checked, and the current Android 13 is still supported until 2027. Personally, I don’t care about the OS on my smartphone as long as it gets updates and the device is secure. But there are currently issues with that, too. Nevertheless, Android 14 was announced for the second half of 2024. So, now we’re in 2025, and we’re already in the second half of that year. Is there any update on the status?
If you read in this thread you will be able to see that the status is, that FP cancelled A14 and instead works on A15. The release date is not yet fixed, though.
Ah sorry, I actually didn’t see. Thank You.
However, I haven’t found any further information. Is there a timeline for when Android 15 will be released?
Futurezone give endoflife.date as their source, but Futurezone obviously got something wrong, as the continuity in their table makes no sense, and as endoflife.date doesn’t list support end dates (because Google don’t announce those).
So Futurezone made stuff up, and they didn’t even make it look convincing … you can compare their table with their supposed source at the time of writing their article via Wayback Machine.
The sources on the subject are very sparse and poorly communicated. As long as it’s supported, all’s well with the world, as I said. I definitely don’t have any other source, and if it’s Q2 2026, that should be enough time to bring Android 15 to the FP4. This will most likely be the last Android for the FP4, and that’s fine. I’m definitely happy with the device, even if it’s not perfect. I’ve had devices from a few manufacturers, and they all have their quirks. Fairphone is one of those devices I’m simply happy with, but it could definitely be better, as there’s still room for improvement.
I don’t need Android 15. It could run Android 11, I really don’t care. As long as the operating system gets its security updates, I really don’t care what version my FP4 is running.
