Hi everyone,
I wanted to share a frustrating Bluetooth issue I have been experiencing with my Fairphone 5 for approximately a month, hoping someone has encountered the same problem or found a solution.
I have been using my Bose QC Ultra 2 Bluetooth headphones daily for about eight months without any problems. However, around a month ago, the audio started cutting out frequently when streaming music or podcasts.
The problem:
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When a song changes, the first 15–30 seconds of the next track are completely silent, even though the streaming app continues playing normally.
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The same happens with podcasts, sometimes even in the middle of an episode.
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Occasionally, the audio never returns to the headphones and instead starts playing through the phone’s speakers.
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This happens multiple times every day, across different streaming platforms.
I initially suspected my headphones, but they work perfectly with other devices. While other Bluetooth devices seem to work fine with my FP5, I have also experienced similar audio issues when connecting my phone to a car’s audio system.
What I have already tried (without success):
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Resetting Wi-Fi and Bluetooth settings.
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Restarting the phone.
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Disabling or modifying certain developer options suggested on the Fairphone Community.
I also found another discussion reporting similar Bluetooth problems.
This is particularly frustrating because I work in a noisy environment where I listen to music and podcasts through headphones throughout my shifts, without being able to access my phone regularly. Having 15–30 seconds of audio disappear every few minutes is driving me crazy.
My growing frustration with Fairphone
Unfortunately, this is just the latest in a long series of issues I have experienced with my FP5, including poor microphone quality, WhatsApp camera problems, and USB-C audio issues.
I have spent countless hours contacting Fairphone Support and searching for solutions here and on Reddit, often without meaningful results. Too often, support seems to offer the same generic troubleshooting procedures rather than acknowledging recurring problems or providing information about possible fixes (as discussed here).
I paid almost €700 for this phone in 2024 because I genuinely believed (and I still do) in Fairphone’s mission and the promise of keeping a phone for ten years. But after so many unresolved issues, I am honestly exhausted. Seeing newer models being released while problems on older devices remain unresolved makes this even more disappointing.
Has anyone experienced this specific Bluetooth issue? Have you found a solution? I would also be interested to hear whether others share my frustration with recurring FP5 problems and Fairphone’s support.