Camera-less option

Help Fairphone 2
1

Hello all,

I stumbled across the FP2 and I am wondering if it might be a solution to a long standing but slightly obscure problem of mine.

Certain places I work ban cameras on the basis of security. This means I have to travel with 2 phones, one without a camera plus my normal smart phone.

So my questions are:

Can the FP2 be configured with no camera modules at all?

If so, would it be clear to a nontechnical security guard that it doesn’t have a camera? Perhaps a case without mouldings for the camera lens?

Would I be able to pop the camera modules back in easily when I’d like a camera phone? Or is the process fairly involved and not suitable for doing regularly (like 2-3 times a week).

Thanks in advance for any help and pointers!

1 Like
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Generally speaking, yes, and it would still work.
Problem is, while the main camera is a module of itself, the selfie camera is in the top module that houses other functionality, too. So if you would dismount.the top module, not only the selfie camera would be missing, but e.g. the earpiece speaker and the headphone jack, too. You may work around those misses with Bluetooth, but being Bluetooth, this can be a hassle.

There would be visibly something missing where the cameras were before … but don’t rely on common sense when dealing with people unknown to you before :wink: .

You can 3D-print your own case. You can design it to your taste and needs.
Remember you would have to deal with the selfie camera, too.

See the iFixit Teardown for pictures, or have a look at this video …

While the process is fairly easy, it involves disassembling/ reassembling screws, and with users reporting contact problems of unknown origin over time inside the phone with the modules in general, the modules are clearly not designed to be disassembled and reassembled several times a week.
The modularity is primarily meant to aid repairability, it’s not meant for casual pop-off/ pop-on.

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If you‘re dealing with very reasonable security guards you could also try a second hand top module with a broken camera so you don‘t miss other functions.

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“Does this thing have a camera?”

  • “Yes, but the camera’s broken.”

“Haha, good one. Try harder.” :wink:

On second thought … you could disassemble just the camera piece from the top module, voiding warranty.

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Thank you both very much for your prompt replies!

Regretfully, it doesn’t sound like this phone is a solution to my particular problem, but it certainly is an intriguing product!

I will keep popping back from time to time to see if any new developments change that.

My thanks once again :grinning:

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Out of curiosity … if you find a workable solution, please post it here, too.

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I will do.

For the time being, it would seem we’re still stuck with dodgy no-brand camera-less phones full of malware.

While our demographic is small, there are more places than you might imagine that need a ‘no camera’ phone. It is a shame the options are so limited.

Thanks again for the help!

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The problem with the top-module would be - even if you disassemble the camera, that the missing camera is not exactly obvious, as the lens is hidden behind the display and you not only have to look really closely, but you have to know how it looks like with a camera inside.
You would have to disable the selfie camera by maybe scratching the glass in front of the lens. That would be an obvious, though permanent and not really stylish solution.
To enable the camera again, you would need to change the display. So, an expensive solution as well. :frowning:

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