Flaws of my Fairphone 2

Fairphone 2 flaws

Like many others, I bought the Fairphone convinced to support a fairly produced smartphone. Although I heard about some little problems and disadvantages of the phone, Fairphone and also other experts assured me, that the Fairphone is a fully functional and complete smartphone. That’s true in some way, but the list of problems with my Fairphone is really long.
My question to you is, if this is normal or if my phone is maybe especially fragile?
I have to mention that as a consequence of all the problems, which I will illustrate in the following, I installed LineageOS, in the hope that it will get better, but unfortunately it didn’t.
Here comes the list of defects:

  • The first thing I recognized at my smartphone, is, that the battery is empty very very fast, although I have began to use the app Greenify and although I try to use my smartphone in an energy-saving way. (rarely GPS, rarely Facebook, Display in energy-saving mode etc.). The battery has been lasting at maximum one day, and that from the first day on. (a problem that many users have, and which of course is also subjective) If I listen to music via Spotify for a while, it’s lasting maybe only 2 or some hours.

  • the phone does not shut down when I push the shutdown button, but restarts
    (I can only shut it down by removing the battery, or by starting the recovery mode and then choose the shutdown button.) This is not so ecological.

  • funny: at the moment it’s impossible to get in the recovery mode after restarting.

  • often the smartphone crashes or hangs, at least once a day, especially:
    o when it is loading at the charger, it’s nearly impossible to use it simultaneously without a crash
    o I cannot really use google maps because it crashes and restarts constantly and the battery is empty after less than one hour!, so it’s nearly unusable for that and also dangerous during a car ride.
    o sometimes when streaming with Netflix.
    o screen mirroring is nearly impossible without a crash (the phone becomes very hot)

  • often Apps crash and have to be restarted, especially Firefox

  • the phone sometimes becomes really hot at the back

  • sometimes the proximity sensor does not work during calling, but that improved

  • When I put somebody on speakerphone, the sound volume varies, sometimes very quiet, then normally loud again.

  • The front camera sometimes isn’t working; I just get a black display and then I get the message: the media server has crashed. I only can solve this problem by restarting the phone and hoping that it works then. (But often the situation for the good photo is then already gone)

Normally, in case of every other smartphone, if it has one or two of these failings, you would return it, but in case of the Fairphone, I don’t know what I can do because I think I will have the same problems with a new one. That sounds hard, and of course also other smartphones have deficiencies, but there have been so many defects from the beginning.
I also think about selling it, but with all these defects it seems for me a problem to sell it with a clear conscience.
A general remark: I don’t find it appropriate, that I have to do so much research, to find the solutions for the mistakes, that shouldn’t be. I’m not an expert, but why is it not possible for Fairphone to repair these mistakes with updates? If you are not a technique-nerd, it’s really difficult and you have to spend a lot of time to find solutions for all these problems. And some I cannot solve.
Normally I’m a really patient guy and I also normally am not someone who speaks ill about things, I think. And I also don’t want to offend people who are happy with the Fairphone. And maybe I should accept it with humour. But the problem for me is, that I can use the phone only in a limited way. If I were in a situation where I really have to rely on a smartphone, for example in business, it would be really difficult to use it. I’m in a conflict a bit: on the one hand I don’t wanna be too critical with a young Start Up, on the other hand all these defects make me angry.
And the other problem is that all these defects contradict to the Idea of a long-life circle of the smartphone.

Maybe you can help me with one of the problems in the list above?
Especially the problem with google maps is annoying me…
And maybe you can tell me if these are all common problems of this smartphone or if I have the possibility to get a new one, if I file a complaint.

Do you have similar problems?

Thank you

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Generally: No, it’s not normal. Probably a good reason to make use of your warranty.

I’m on mobile atm so I’ll keep my answer short, but here are some tips for some of your issues:

Do you use the official FB app? If so replacing it with an alternative from F-Droid will likely solve a lot of issues you’re having.

This is a known bug and a workaround is to turn on the flashlight before turning off - no kidding.

Related to the same bug.

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I’m on Wifi, so here are the long answers if you are willing to read :slight_smile:

Concerning the standard Facebook app you have plenty of posts for reading here.

The shutdown bug and more are discussed here.

Use the provided re-calibration tool in settings->maintenance->proximity sensor
Usually it improves the functionality.

Are you still on the standard Android picture app? Try out another e.g. open camera

It is possible and actually going on but needs more time as Fairphone has to re-program several OS parts (drivers) which are no longer provided by other parties Google; Qualcomm).

This forum is filled with a lot of useful information. You are welcome to use the search function.

On the other hand some devices out there with software bugs may never receive a fix, but manufacturers rather try to settle down complaining customers but tend to have them to purchase/receive a different device.

You are free to do so here as well as your (new) phone is generally also covered by warranty.

About your battery troubles you may read more of other issues here.

Maybe your phone is such a case.

Start-off with this step which most probably will solve many of the appearing troubles.

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Just a question, but did you already try to contact support? Generally, they should be able to help you find these specific solutions, or offer a warranty replacement. Or you could contact an Fairphone Angel, if someone is located near you.
This way, non-technique-nerds (or people who are new in the FP-world) get as much help as possible, without the need for much research. You’re right it seems a lot of work to find a solution for each and every problem on the forum: there’s such an overflow of information it can be hard to find the very specific information you’re looking for.

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