This question depends on how many android apps you use. If you just use your FP1 as a phone then you should keep it. If you use many android apps the software on the FP1 will become obsolete long before the hardware - so a change to an FP2 is unavoidable.
I’d contact support and not just for the battery but send the whole phone back to get it thoroghly checked and repaired or replaced. Non of theese problems you describe are issues one has to expect when having a fairphone. I for one don’t have any problems with my fairphone and am more happy with it then i was with my iphone 4 i had before. and not just because of the fairness it stands for.
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I’m going to pop problems to one side as your question isn’t about specific problems it’s about the philosophy behind Fairphone.
It’s always been my opinion that people with a FP1(U) shouldn’t rush out to buy the latest phone (let’s call it FP2) just because it’s new. Let’s face it, this is one of the big problems that we face as a society, this idea of constant consumption and redundancy. Does FP2 make FP1(U) redundant - no! of course not. Does it still function as a phone, as a web device, as a (insert here the function you use it for)? Yes, the latest OS isn’t available on the FP1(U) but unless there is a security issue that the FP don’t/can’t fix then it’s not going to be a problem - and even then it depends on how you use your phone and how cautious you are about downloading random apps/web pages about how much of a problem security bugs are (for the most part, as I’m generalising). Ok, some apps might start demanding the latest versions, but until the apps you need to you stop working…
But let’s face it, there are people that will want a FP2, just because ( 
that includes me!). Now here is where FP should bring their philosophy into life by doing something different - a buy back/reseller programme perhaps or some other scheme that encourages people to pass the phone on and continue its use. Or even thinking more creatively about how you sell a phone in the first place - remember I defined the problem earlier as being about consumption - buy, use, dump. That’s the loop that FP are going to have to consider tackling. Reduce, reuse, recycle needs to fit in here, and that’s partly about changing consumer behaviour, but also about ensuring there is a route to reuse (FP have already tackled recycle).
Anyway, I hope this helps answer your question 
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I think you are being very optimisitic regarding redundancy here. The Jellybean operating system on the FP1(U) currently has a slightly smaller market share of the android market than Gingerbread had in December of 2012. It only took 2 years from December 2012 for Gingerbread to drop to below 10% of the android market, at which point 3 additional OS versions had been produced. This creates a large problem for FP1(U) owner because not only will apps be incompatible long before hardware ceases to function but users are expected to have faith that Fairphone will have the capability (and the goodwill) to address security issues in an outdated android OS.
I agree that the question is about the philosphopy behind Fairphone. I think the majority of people purchased an FP1(U) on the promise that the phone was designed to last for a long time. From a software point of view this has turned out simply not to be the case. With respect to reduce, reuse, recycle - the FP1(U) addresses reduction in use of exploitative materials and also recycling but missed the mark on reuse. In terms of reusability the average FP1(U) will probably fail to meet the majority of other phones sold within the same period, simply because of driver problems. Changing consumer behaviour should not involve encouraging the use of outdated and insecure operating systems because of mistakes made when manufacturing a product.
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I don’t get what’s the big deal about software updates. Maybe it’s because before the Fairphone I was an Apple user and all Apple Products (iPhone, iPad, Mac iTunes, … ) got worse with EVERY update.
But if you have a phone that works, an operating system you like and all the apps you need, why do you HAVE TO buy a new phone if the apps you use have updates you can only install if you update the OS first? It’s not like the Apps will stop working right?
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Yes, Apps which use a server client architecture will stop working. Almost all google applications use this concept, the App on the phone is a gateway to software which exists on Googles servers. When it is no longer financially viable for whoever owns the servers to support old versions then Apps of this type stop working.
You don’t have to buy a new phone, for almost every other phone of a similar price to the FP1(U) sold at the same time, the user will simply update the OS on the phone they already have. This is why I said the FP1(U) is less reusable that the average android phone.
oh I had no idea. well than that means Fairphone should start promoting a Google-free way of using the Phone to keep users from buying a new Phone.
My point exactly… I don’t HAVE to buy the new one… I would be very happy not to buy another phone ever again!!! I just wish problems with my FP1 are resolved with the new updates.
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I did oversimplify the issues, but I do this for a specific reason - the concept on longevity is simple if you strip out some of the consumerism attached to it.
I also find this kind of graph easier to articulate where the current Android market is at. There is much life left in Jellybean even if Google don’t support the dev of it.
My main point through is that often our choices are driven by wants rather than needs. Many apps that we need still run on Gingerbread (my partner can attest to that given he’s on a device with 2.3.3). The point here is that yes you don’t get the latest version of Gmail or whatever app you want, but as long as the old version still works there really isn’t an issue. This is consumerism at it’s basic level, driving our decisions by telling us that we need something when we actually don’t.
As for reselling FP1(U) I don’t think that’s an issue either. Security is a concern, I agree. But as long as the phone does a job there is no need to dump it (assuming security issues can be minimised/fixed). An outdated OS doesn’t mean it can’t provide an invaluable service. Again it’s about putting need over want. If the FP1(U) can end up being re-purposed with another OS version, of course this argument will be addressed properly and that would be my preference. But if it can’t, there is nothing stopping these devices being used somewhere and for something.
BTW (and a completely different discussion) from what I’ve heard from my friends that have upgraded/bought new devices, at the moment I wouldn’t touch Lollipop even if it was available for the FP1(U) - even Google’s software testing has left a lot to be desired!
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Your graph shows the current Android market, it doesn’t show how quickly percentage share of the Android market drops as new versions are released.
My main counterpoint is that the FP was intended to address the environmental impact of manufacturing mobile phones. A critical issue in averting environmental impact in any industrial design is to avoid built-in obsolescence. The FP team failed to understand the relationship between hardware and software when manufacturing the FP1 and in doing so diminished the product.
This isn’t consumerism, it is user choice. What I wanted was a phone which I could keep for as long as possible. I didn’t need an environmentally friendly phone. I made the mistake of assuming longevity would have been thoroughly considered in the design and manufactoring process of the FP, when it hasn’t been.
If the phone doesn’t really have longevity purchasing an FP2 may be sensible, assuming these issues are addressed in the next design cycle.
This is not built-in obsolescence. It’s a Google-made obscolence. Just stop using Google Services and you’ll be happy with your phone for many years to come.
Some FOSS software developers actually release new versions of their apps to support older devices/OSs. Only profit driven developers try to find as many ways as possible for users to have to buy their new phones.
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I suggest you read The Unplanned Obsolescence of the First Fairphone Device. The FP team made a mistake in not understanding the implications of how FOSS relates to manufacturing. The author concludes that the FP team should simply learn from their mistake and promote and support Free Software on the next FP device. I would be incredibly surprised if the FP2 does not have much more open hardware than the FP1(U), the FP team know that this was a big mistake in the FP1(U). It doesn’t make sense to tell people not to purchase an FP2 for this reason - the FP2 will almost certainly address this problem and be a far better device for it.
I don’t use any Google Services on my FP1(U). I would be surprised if I can continue to use my FP1(U) as long as I will be able to use my current laptop. My FP1(U) does not have the same longevity as my laptop, because my laptop is well supported by FOSS operating systems and has relatively open and well documented hardware.
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the only question I have about fairphone2 is about the chipset… will it be mediatek again?
if this is the case, well, I think that fairphone team did not learn anything from their mistake.
This is just complete and utter nonsense. Pretty much all of Google’s services still work flawlessly on Gingerbread (Android 2.3) phones.
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@for83
I understand your disappointment, but please try to keep on topic here. The original poster was talking about more about the philosophy behind this and i understand the @Chris_R gets to that very well in his first reponse above. Please also note that @evidemment has problems with her Fairphone that are not related to the problem with no major Android updates. I would think the discussion about when the software of the FP1 will lead to its obsoleteness is highly speculative and i have the feeling your argumentation is somewhat flawed. But i think if you want to continue that discussion, do it on another thread, because this has gone a bit out of control here 
.
@evidemment The problems you have should not be happening even with the current Fairphone. I have lot of Apps installed and also use Google Apps and i had two or three sudden reboots in over one Year usage of my FP1. I hope Fairphone support can fix your phone or a software update soon will help to run you phone more reliable. I think it is great you did not lose your faith in Fairphone because of the issues with the FP1.
Here is how i see if the problems you have with FP1 cannot be solved: Smartphones are very much ubiquitous today and they fulfill certain needs. And the idea of the Fairphone is to show that you can have a smart phone that does pretty much everythink other smartphones do, but takes more care of social and environmental issues. It wants to be an example the that a more fair and transparent production chain is possible while producing a phone the fulfill our needs. Everybody has to decide for him/herself: a) Is there something i really need and want to get done i cannot do with my current phone or b) do i simply have the desire to be on the bleeding edge and pose around with the latest and greatest?
In general, i think a is good reason to buy a new phone, more specifically a FP1. Simply make sure you give the original FP a chance to a second life by recycling (if it turns out your device is really broken) or selling it here or to another second market.
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Thanks for your reply… I completely agree with you and my phone covers my needs (even if sometimes I can get frustrated).
PS I’m a “she” 
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Sorry, edited above. I try to not to use pronouns indicating a gender if i do not know it. English is not my first language (as you might have noticed already) and i am very open for suggestions how to avoid the mistake i did. How could that sentences be rewritten? Or is it still the best to always write her/his etc.?
By the way: Good luck with your Fairphone and welcome to this community!
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my mother tongue is also german but i think the most commonly used “gendered” pronoun is “they”. so:
[quote=“ben, post:18, topic:4776”]
Please also note that @evidemment has problems with their Fairphone
[/quote] ?
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Don’t worry about it
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