I’m curious what other’s experiences have been with the FP4. I’m quite happy with the phone. It’s a solid bit of hardware and I love the removable and upgradable storage.
I’ve been having a few issues with my phone and I’m wondering if there are others that have the same issues and have found solutions:
The touch cancellation when on a phone call seems a bit hit or miss. I often find that my call is muted or hung up by my cheek while talking. I checked the proximity sensor diagnostics and it does seem to be working properly. Has anyone else had issues with this? I’m trying to use speakerphone when possible to avoid this.
Typing too fast on the keyboard results in ghost “swipes”. When I use the keyboard in non-swipe mode, I start getting random pieces of words that appear like mini swipes. It’s almost as if the touch sensor is seeing my multiple-finger typing as very fast random swiping. I have to disable swiping on the keyboard to avoid that frustration, but I really miss it.
Fingerprint sensor repeats bad readings. I get locked out of using my fingerprint to open the phone as it gets about 10 bad readings in about a quarter of a second and requires use of my PIN. It seems like it should be throttling how often it reads from the sensor if there’s a bad touch (wrong finger, wrong angle, etc). When the sensor works, it works quite well.
Everything else has been pretty good. eSIM worked perfectly, screen is beautiful, removable back is solid. Any ideas/software settings for fixing these issues above?
EDIT: I should note that I’m one of the few FP4 users in Canada. I wish these were sold here, but I’m happy to import them and parts until they are.
EDIT 2: I tried a factory reset and these issues have all persisted, unfortunately.
Ah, thank you. I cannot find the option where the FP button needs to be pushed to register a print scan. I’ll pop over to the other thread to ask about that.
There are threads around proximity sensor issues, as a workaround you can just turn of the screen during a call (just ensure power button is not set to end calls). Hopefully FP will fix this.
I just wanted to say that I don’t recognize any of the issues. Except that No. 2 resembles another issue that sometimes bother me - tapping the screen can sometimes trigger a swipe gesture (I guess I then have tapped sloppy and made an accidental super short swipe) and then cause stuff to e.g. get discarded when I didn’t want to.
I experience the issues 1 and 3 on my FP4 as well. But not the 2. However, I type in a pretty slow pace, so that might mitigate the issue naturally for me.
The issue with the fingerprint scanner I’ve had too and mostly the work around detailed in the other thread works well for me. I miss being able to unlock with the fingerprint though.
The keyboard accuracy is the most frustrating part of my switch to the FP4 from my old phone. Every time I type I have to correct something, regardless of the actual keyboard I use. I first assumed that it was down to muscle memory with the FP4 being bigger than the old phone but that should have improved and it hasn’t. I’m still looking for the magic bullet.
It’s available but the sensor often gets triggered by any part of the hand and then tries to recognize it in bursts of 5-10 tries. That leads to “Too many attempts” and the PIN has to be used.
That’s why the mentioned workaround suggests to switch the fingerprint sensor to only react when the screen is on.
Every phone has issues (and that really sucks), Fairphone is no exception. They have improved over the past months. Some of the things you list here are among them. Best is to contactsupport, if you haven’t done so already.
Like you I am overall pretty pleased with the phone.
However, again like you, I am having real issues with the phone hanging up or being muted which is frankly damned annoying and forcing me to use speaker phone when often it is inappropriate to do so.
It seems to me that the issue lies in how you use the phone. I’m right handed so tend to take calls using my left hand to hold the phone leaving my right to take notes. When I use my right hand to hold the phone there are fewer probs. So, does anyone have any constructive suggestions?
I am also getting lots of complaints about poor microphone performance on calls. As the phone is only a few months old I cannot see it being a faulty mic. My take on this is that it’s another poor positioning issue. If held in the left hand the mic faces the back of your head as it’s on the left side! Why can we not choose which mic is used for calls? For example the bottom one?
Coming from Samsung I am also used to being able to simply point the cam at QR codes to read them. Not apparently with FP4. Why? That’s so backward.
Lastly, I know just hate the swipe up to access the the thing. All too often it fails as its not done at the right speed or with the right touch. We live in the real world where we need to to be both reliable and consistent. Why go for this over complication?!
Any suggestions for getting round these issues are genuinely welcomed.
EDIT: Don’t get me started on the lack of decent protective cases… Mine already looks like its 5 years old!
QR codes can be scanned with Google Lens (shortcut in the camera app), but I prefer to use Firefox for that. Having a smart camera (like I also had on my Pixel) is of course best. But it at least a shortcut in the camera app provides a decent solution. You have to weigh these pros and cons. Do you want to support a more sustainable industry which will have an impact on the world? Or do you want to scan QR codes just a bit more convenient? I know it’s just one of the many issues, and yes, they do stack up. But please, be aware of the bigger picture. FP is improving, by supporting them they may get there eventually.
The stock case is pretty robust in my experience. I had some scratches, but all of them could be wiped off with ease. Try a bit of water and a microfiber cloth to wipe the scratches off. If they’re deep then it won’t work. But surface damage is removed easily.
Please report these issues nonetheless by contactsupport, they likely prioritize fixes based on reports.
I am quite sure the poor sound quality is entirely down to the positioning of the mic used for phone calls i.e. that it placed solely for right handed use. I’m genuinely shocked that designers simply never considered that left handed people might use it. Quite ridiculous.
Re the QR code potential of Google Lens. I’m no fan of Google so try to stay away from their tools. Again to simply not consider something so ubiquitous seems, let’s say, remiss.
Re the case. A case’s suitability is entirely dependant upon your profession and how you use it. I’m a plumber so it gets used for all manner of things from reading docs, through using it as a light to taking images, taking notes etc etc. Being in my pocket means most (especially silicone) become an absolute magnet for dust and dirt. I have always had a case that properly protects my investment. For reasons I have yet to fathom, there seems to have been some assumption made in the FP camp that no one aside from office workers value sustainability. How anyone can even infer that NOT putting out a case which lengthens the life of a so called sustainable product is simply nonsense as it flies in the face of the products whole premise!
I have no idea what the hashtag #ContactSupport does.
Hi YIDave
the contactsupport should come out as bold text and link to the option to contact support.
Yes it must be written in lower case and only goes to another topic about contacting support.
So there is a case but you find it unusable ?
QR I use Firefox as a browser and it is included it that
Left hand or right: I know what you mean but I have a daughter who’s left handed and hasn’t mentioned a problem. Maybe left-handed people are used to coping with right handed impliments and it’s only the odd right handed user that has a problem. When using my phone, apart from calls, I hold the phone in my left hand and use my right for screen opperations ~ however I do have an FP3
Frankly there are no suitable cases I can find. I have searched literally every week since I got it. The feedback consensus about Fairphone’s own case is that it makes the whole thing slightly less easier to grip - but looks great!
The world is finally recognising that we need to act responsibly so, surely, to compliment & underpin the FP concept, protection must be a key deliverable? I fully realise there may be a tiny aspect of the business model that encourages sales (simply to keep going) but thinking ‘in the round’ is as important. Even if FP are not prepared to put out a protective case of their own, perhaps they might instead consider releasing a dimensioned diagram so that we owners could help one another out by designing our own printable cases. I’d certainly be up for contributing to the design!
FP is not supposed to be about just phones. It’s supposed to be about education, re-education, a journey into sustainability & demonstrating that the circular economy can be made to commercially work. By apparently not even considering different users, it makes it extremely difficult to be as enthused as one could/should be, to be a walking billboard, be an advocate.
I get that many lefties ‘cope’. But that’s really not the point is it? The point is made above. If the big guys can do it under huge time & commercial pressures why the dickens can’t FP?
Right now my jury is out. I just don’t know which way to go. I love the concept, admire the engineering, want to be part of this revolution of positivity, but… Much as I love the idea, the flaws in the FP4 manifestation mean currently I simply could not justify buying again and that’s a huge lost opportunity.
Hmm! It makes it bigger, so for small hands that’ll be an issue. Did you not have an FP3 ??
I thought the case made the grip better. ??
As for the buisness model I’m way off the charts. If it wasn’t for Fair trade I could hardly be bothered and would have just continued to use hand-me-downs from my children
Mine’s an FP4. I have big hands so that’s not an issue. I’m only going by what’s reported!
I’d previously used Samsung for years and always had top notch protective cases. My last S9 Edge got thrown off my XC90 roof at least 4 times having left it there and driven off (no I never learned!) and never a scratch. All due to the investment in (two) great cases in its 5 years. Now considering the whole darn thing was glass that was some survival rate!
