My FP3 unfortunately stopped working from one moment to the next after 6 years and 10 months just like that. I need a phone so obviously I bought a fairphone, and the latest is the FP6+ e/os.
the FP3 (first lineage then e/os) was perfect for me, all worked well, I used two SIM cards and a micro SD card, I used the earphones jack daily and benefitted from the LED notifications (work situations!) and charging indicator.
And all the other stuff / apps were also great, the camera and recordings were ok for documentation / taking notes etc. I used the phone as my work phone and little office.
I can’t remember encountering any difficulties that had me wishing for a newer model.
OK, when I had to move on from the FP1 to the FP3 I missed the FM radio (and I still do) and the bigger size was a problem at first. That’s probably normal. At the same time, the FP3 had a number of advantages over the FP1.
But now, to be honest, I haven’t found anything in the FP6 so far that makes it better for me than the FP3 (and I am not starting he colour issue which is prob. a question of taste).
I do miss a few of the old features. Also I have to now charge my Fairphone earbuds (the version before they became ,real Fairphone earbuds’) every day, while before I only charged them once a week.
The FP6+ (e/os 699 €) was so much more expensive than the FP3 (457,14 €), is it just inflation or a better camera (makes no difference to me)? Am I missing anything?
Maybe some users who made the direct move from FP3 to FP6 can help with their experiences
Thank you!
(ps the “similar topics” that were suggested when I started this topic are really far off!)
The FP3 isn’t coming back. You will not be satisfied. As you found out by now yourself …
Yes.
If it is any consolation, you are not alone with this, but in the end we have to deal with the phones in front of us.
I hope the phone in front of me continues to be my FP3 (or my backup FP3) at least until FP7. But anyway …
Objectively better performance (whether you make use of it or not)
Longer hardware and software support (especially security update support)
Is the Fairphone which can be bought and maintained right now.
Lots of users buying one now don’t know the FP3, or even anything before FP6 for that matter, and mentions of a notification LED or a headphone jack to many users is the equivalent of grandpa telling tales from the war.
In tech history what the masses want and buy wins. When it comes to smartphones they want slim, waterproof, no bezel, large.
As for grandpa telling tales from the war, I think the original FP3 rim bumper is an undermentioned but brilliant lean no-fuss just-works feature, too. Fairphone have accumulated some history with their cases and bumpers, but they got this thing very right from the start … and of course discontinued it quickly, even if for environmental reasons if I remember correctly.
Seems to be more expensive than 599 EUR right now without any discount, but for what it’s worth:
457 EUR in 2019 with added official German inflation would be about 581 EUR right now.
I will say that the fairphone 6 (and 6+) are VERY obvious - in both design and features - attempts to unlock an audience that would otherwise make a clear different purchasing decision, and for whom the modular design is a nice “can have”, not a must have.
I laughed at grandpa telling stories of the war, but it is a bit like that. I think most people have resigned themselves to the fact that the headphone jack isn’t coming back and have learned to live with the USB-C out if they so desire. AOD or accessibility features ("camera and / or screen flash) have somewhat taken over the LED’s core functions. You could always order one and return it if you REALLY hate it, but I think fairphone has made a decision - for better or worse - to find a compromise with “maintaining the core value early adopters loved but also making a phone more people would also actually buy”,
I made the same step. I had to get used to the FP6 - and yes, it is different. I do appreciate the big battery, the phone does not need to be charged every night. I bought a Fairphone plug to be able to use a wired earphone. I use an sd-card, but with the storage space of th FP6 it is not necessary anymore. The second sim is now an esim - works fine. And I love the slider to quickly make it a quit phone during meetings.
And I still miss some options my old Motorola had before I switched to the FP3: fm radio, certain movements activated the camera, the torch and other things.
Just one observation I made myself and which I would now suggest to everyone: I recently switched an FP6 to /e/OS and this allows me to both wake up the screen with a double tap* and put the display to sleep with a double tap into the status bar (at the very top). This drastically reduces the need for the power button (which is a bit tricky to locate on the FP6 given it is flat/submerged).. And after several days of checking the battery status, it does not seem to noticeably drain the battery. You can find these options in the Display settings (near the end of these).
This is something I am absolutely certain now I would use all the time (if my FP3 needed replacement by an FP6 or FP6+ … the FP3 only allows the status bar double tap).
I am very happy with the FP6 compared to the FP3. It is faster, has better battery and better camera. I also like the Fairphone moments button. And the phone is much more waterproof. I do not miss the audio jack, this is easily solved with the adapter. I do have the Fairphone case, which has the feel of the bumper because the bottom is open.
I do miss the transparent back, but can live without it. The notification led was handy, but I also like it that the phone doesn’t produce light during the night so that you had to make sure the phone was turned facedown. I am not complaining about these changes, the fp6 is definitely an improvement.
The price difference is probably because of inflation. Prices have increased since covid and the unrest in the world. And chips have enormously increased in price with the demands of AI.
It is because I charged my FP3 during the night. And my phone is in bedtime and silent mode during the night. It is on so I can be reached in emergencies.
Yes I understand.
I leave the phone switched off / flightmode at night because of radiation (and closeness to head), but that’s something I’ve been doing since the old sony ericsson K750 - days. Don’t even know if this is still recommended for smartphones?
I upgraded largely because I wanted the improved security for telephone banking apps with updates ending for the 3/3+. My one issue is the lack of build quality with the screws holding the battery cover. I decided belatedly to buy a credit card holder. One of the original screws, the slot rounded off making it very difficult to get the screw out. One of the new screws keeps turning having been screwed in and the other keeps turning too but keeps standing proud of the case. For a phone designed to let the user do repairs, this really is not good enough and a bit more pre release work would have identified this issue.
