As much as I am glad that I finally received my FP2 a couple of days ago, I have to admit that my first impressions where actually disappointing, which mainly refers to the software side of the phone.
First of all, getting my FP2 came as a nice and pleasant surprise. With having an order no. of some 300 and knowing that “my” back-cover color was already in stock, I was wondering where my notification email was to tell me the phone is shipped, after I saw that already over 1000 devices have left the packaging facilities. Then, on Dec. 31st - I was still in bed - the door bell rang, and unexpectedly the post man handed me over a package from the Netherlands. Finally it was here!
I was really very glad to receive it: I already was a happy owner of an FP1, but when in summer my girlfriend’s phone started to look like it won’t do it much longer, we decided that I’d buy me a new phone and give her my FP1. Unfortunately her old phone seemed to have been aware of the originally planned shipping dates of FP2, as it died some time at the end of October. Since I still had my work phone somewhere in a drawer, it was possible for me to use that and already give her the FP1. But then I was stuck again with a Nokia - Windows Phone (which I really really strongly dislike; and I mean not the hardware, which is great!) that only allowed me to use one of my SIM cards. But worse: Lot’s of apps I like to use and having control over my phone was also not an option with that device.
But anyhow, despite waiting for the FP2 for a couple of weeks longer than expected, I finally had my FP2 in my hands!
Alright, so I take it out of the box and turn it on. When I bought the phone I wasn’t yet aware that the FP2 would come unrooted and with Google apps installed, and while I already got to know that before the phone finally arrived, it was pretty much annoying when finally holding the phone in my hands. One of the things I loved about the FP1 was that you had a simple choice of running the phone with or without Google apps. However, when I first turned on my FP2 I realized that it was full with bloatware. So the first thing I did with the phone was browsing several times through the installed apps to be able to deactivate all the bloatware it got shipped with. The next thing I wanted to do was rotting the device, as in my opinion only if you have admin rights to a computer you get the chance to be in control of it. I expected that with the Fairphone there wold be an easy way how to do that. But so far I haven’t really figured how to, although I spent a whole day trying different tutorials from the net, installed the whole SDK to get ADB running etc. Also here in the forum I couldn’t find an easy way how to do it, not even to mention that I didn’t find anything on this issue on the website. Since I was a happy owner of the FP1 and considering the philosophy behind Fairphone that you only own what you can open, I was really disappointed that the phone came as such a closed up device. I would have appreciated if instead of adding bloatware to the pone, the software team would have rather put time and effort into making it easier to open it.
Well, I know this sounds now pretty much like just moaning around. I am still glad that I choose a Fairphone as a new phone, as there are so many other values behind its philosophy I appreciate. However, and thus only referring to the title of this thread, my first impression was simply disappointment.
I really really hope that soon there will be a tutorial available for how to open the software of the phone, so that I can finally get access to what I bought. So far I still cannot use apps and functions that are important to me and to increase privacy etc. on the device. I guess my disappointment originates from higher expectations, after having owned an FP1. But after a week of having the phone in the hand, I still don’t feel that I own my phone.
I know, this is a rather negative first impression I got, but it just honestly reflects my first impressions and feelings. There are of course many great aspects as well, regarding the hardware, so maybe I come up with more positive impressions on that side in the next days
Let me end this post that I really appreciate the effort the whole team put into this project with a second Fairphone now on the market, and that despite my disappointing first impressions, I would anytime again by a Fairphone if I needed a new phone. I am also looking forward that we will soon also get to know how we can own our Fairphones on the software side.