Hi
I received my fairphone 2 with Android 5.1 Lollipop OS.
But today, I have received a notification telling me that my current OS version was “Fairphone OS 1.4.2”, and a “1.5.1” version was available: what does it mean ? Why does the notification says that I’m in “Fairphone OS”, since I’m not as far as I see in phone parameters ?
So should I perform the update proposed ???
Thanks for any answer,
Guenhaël
Fairphone has its own custom Android 5.1 with a few modifications. That is Fairphone OS. Other manufacturers do that too but they tend to make much more changes to Android, which many people don’t like. Fairphone OS is quite a clean Android version.
Today’s new Fairphone OS is still a copy of Android 5.1, but with some new changes. Included are security fixes from Google: fixes for Android 5.1 which can be applied by the phone manufacturer. Fairphone does that by releasing a Fairphone OS update, other vendors may do that differently (or not at all, depending on the model of the phone)
Do you think a naming convention like this would have helped you better?
Fake Examples
Fairphone OS 16.07 (Android 5.x.x@2016-07-05)
Fairphone Open OS 16.05 (Android 5.x.x@2016-07-05)
Hi Albert,
Thanks a lot for the answer. I understood that 2 versions where available, but my questions are rather:
If I accept the upgrade to “Fairphone OS 1.5.2” as proposed by “Updater”, does it mean that I will switch to Fairphone OS (and I saw that this will completely erase everything since this will install a really new OS on my phone, even if this OS is an Android one).
Thanks a lot,
Guenhaël.
You have a Fairphone OS version of Android. Fairphone did not change the system information screens in the settings, so Lollipop is still shown there. I agree that it could be clearer, showing both the Android version and the Fairphone OS version: the Android version on which the FP OS is based, still determines the compatibility with apps, so that version is important to know too.
The Updater is a Fairphone specific app. It shows you an update whenever the Fairphone developers publish one.
Hi
Are you sure about that?
On the forum, I can read :
"The default operating system shipped with your Fairphone 2 is Android™ 5.1 with the Google Mobile Services (the Google Apps)
The Fairphone 2 is shipped with the Android™ Lollipop 5.1 operating system (OS) with the Google Mobile Services pre-installed (also known as the Google Apps) "
… and that seems true since I can see all GMS application installed on my phone: google maps, gmail, Chrome, …
SO my feeling is that I do not have Faorphone OS installed, so why does "Upgrader"propose an upgrade for that OS ???
Thanks,
Guenhaël
Android, if you download it from Google, is not ready to be used. Every phone manufacturer adapts it to fit their phones. Fairphone even gave their own name to it in that process, using their own branding for all updates to the phone’s system: because Android is largely open-source, manufacturers can make changes (like bugfixes and security fixes) themselves and Fairphone has done so a few times already.
The renaming has not been complete, many parts of the system (and the specifications of the phone) still mention Android 5.1. One reason is, that the Android version underneath is what people buying a phone are interested in. If you use “another OS” in your specifications it is seen as weird by users like you, even though it’s common practice actually to have custom Androids.
There may be Fairphone OS updates in future which use Android 6 or higher as base. Right now the base used in every “Fairphone OS” of the FP2, has been Android 5.1 Lollipop.
TL;DR All manufacturers make changes to their OS, yet they market it as Android in phone specifications. So does Fairphone.
There is also an “Fairphone Open OS”, that is a different matter. Probably that caused confusion. That’s not what you are using, you have the normal OS of the FP2.
Ok, I understand all that arguments, but when a “system” says “I’m in 1.4.2 version, and Click here to upgrade to 1.5.1 version”, there should have a mean to check that I’m really in this current 1.4.2 versioin, and that I have really installed the new 1.5.1 version after upgrade.
Here, if I accept the 1.5.2 version installation, I will probably see some chnges in “Build number” and “core version”, and m
Sorry, sentby error, I continue 
Ok, I understand all that arguments, but when a “system” says “I’m in
1.4.2 version, and Click here to upgrade to 1.5.1 version”, there should
have a mean to check that I’m really running this current 1.4.2 version,
and that I have really installed the new 1.5.1 version after upgrade.
Here, if I accept the 1.5.2 version installation, I will probably see some changes in “Build number” and “core version”, and may be “Android” version, but be honest, “1.5.1” version should be displayed somewhere, don’t you agree ?
This is definitely not a user friendly way to manage upgrade.
Regards,
Guenhaël
Actually I just see 1.5.1 is at the end of the build number, and the fairphone updater is accessible from the same menu. I agree with you about displaying it more clearly, but I’m not a fairphone developer nor do I know the best way of getting in touch with them.
OK, thanks for your help and answers, and especially for the tip about last part of the build number: I’m going to strat the update to 1.5.1 version …
Have a nice day,
Guenhaël.
OK, update done, final part of the build number is indeed 1.5.1 …
Regards
Guenhaël
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