How long do you plan on keeping your Fairphone?

Jasper_K · March 27, 2016, 9:45pm

Hi everyone,

I was wondering what everyone plans to do with their in a couple of years time. From their user profile survey, Fairphone found that people kept their previous phone for an average of two years.
Now I know we are able repair our Fairphones if they break and longevity is at the heart of the design, but, as we all know people like new things, and will you be able to resist the shiny new Fairphone 2? how long do you plan on keeping your Fairphone? until it really is breaking years down the line or until it’s a bit slow and you want the new one?

Just wanted to get an idea of what people thought on the matter.

Stefan · July 29, 2017, 7:46pm

I hope it lasts at least for 4 years, but the longer the better! I plan to use it until it falls into pieces!

Herve5 · November 26, 2014, 4:05pm

I don’t see many reasons to change fast. Maybe

a faster GPS convergence in the future model, because there really is a range of apps that cannot be fully used now (but maybe this will improve with initiatives like Mozstumbler etc.?)
the case of an optional, alternative OS independent from Android (in addition to Android), with a simple, preset way to switch at boot. There are not many of them, the one from Jolla comes to mind possibly
a breakup in a critical component (like… the USB plug…) that would impose too much work to be repaired. In such a case I’d prefer giving the phone back for component reuse and switching.

Apart from this, the existence of an efficient recycling program in or close to Fairphone would be appreciated.

Chris_R · November 26, 2014, 5:36pm

I want to keep it as long as possible - however I’m a lover of shiny things so I already want a FP2 even though there are no details about it!! Terrible consumerism, however I do plan to give my FP1 to my partner as his phone is struggling and will gladly have an FP

I do hope the “bugs” that cause us problems like GPS will get resolved so that FP1 lasts and lasts

Stefan · November 26, 2014, 5:45pm

There has been a discussion about this. Mind the post from @Jerry (Post 8).

humorkritik · November 26, 2014, 5:46pm

We don’t know much about the next iteration of the Fairphone, yet. So how to say yip or nay?

christoph · November 26, 2014, 6:05pm

i’m prepared to keep&use my FP1 ‘ALAP’ (=as long as possible). this said, i’m of course curious to learn more about FP2…

ben · November 27, 2014, 9:30am

I am a lover of new and shiny electronics, but i plan to keep my Fairphone at the least for 3 years. This is not much compared to my old dumb phones but no smartphone has stayed with me that long yet.

However I am excited for the FP2 and, depending on release date, i plan to buy it for my partner. (Yes i could give my FP1 and buy the FP2 for myself…but that would be tricking, not?). It would replace hers then about 3 to 4 years old acer smartphone - which is plagued by missing software updates (Android 4.0.3 still, no mayor update ever released!) and to little space for apps.

If Fairphone keeps producing great smartphones, i am in for FP3!

ben · November 27, 2014, 9:32am

Here you go: Fairphone Recycling Programm

Ben2014 · November 27, 2014, 5:26pm

At least 5 years, and ideally until it is broken beyond repair. I like shiny gadgets, but I’m also aware of the waste that causes. I’m very interested in FP2, but will hold off to see whatever is the latest model (FP3, FP4) when I genuinely need one!

Ingo · November 28, 2014, 5:07pm

I also think I’ll use my Fairphone until it falls into pieces

It’s my first smartphone ever. I had two dumbphones before, each for around 7 years. So I guess I’ll be fine with this one for a couple of years as well.

Only one thing might be tempting: if the Fairphone 2 camera was a significant improvement, I might consider buying it. And hopefully someone else would be willing to take over my current phone then.

In any case, I’m rather sure my next phone will be a Fairphone again. I only don’t know when and which version it’ll be

miromurr · November 28, 2014, 9:02pm

As long as I get my FP to actually work, I intend to keep it as long as it does the job I need it to do. Hopefully that’s longer than two years, but with my track record of loosing phones in high-impackt ways, I’m not willing to place a bet.

Lidwien · November 28, 2014, 9:18pm

I wanted to change to a smartphone. But my old phone was working fine, thus replacing it for another phone didn’t seem right. Only when I heard of the Fairphone I decide to buy a smartphone.
I knew somebody in need of a phone.
As long as the Fairphone workes, I can’t see any reason for buying a new phone.
My old phone I had 4 years and that phone is now almost a year in service for my friend.
The phone before my old phone I had about 6 years and my sister used it then for 2 years.
So I’m not replacing a phone easily.

smsm1 · November 29, 2014, 12:46pm

There’s a few things I’m thinking about for a new Fairphone which would make me upgrade:

Improved GPS
4G (3G masts have been known to be taken down in the UK so that 4G masts can be put up.)
5GHz WiFi as I try to avoid the 2.4GHz spectrum which is too congested
NFC - I’m ever hopeful NFC payments will become any operator and any handset at some point
Improved Camera
Ability to lay down flat on a table without rocking around

If Fairphone keep pushing out software updates for the FP1U1, then I’ll keep it for longer. One software feature I miss from my previous phone is folders on the home screens.

I’ll sell or recycle the Fairphone when I do decide to upgrade.

Fairlulu · November 29, 2014, 5:57pm

To me, a phone is a phone. Before I was offered a Fairphone, I kept a really primitive phone I had paid 9 euros for about 8 years. I don’t see the need to spend money just to do like everyone, so sorry, I might take this phone in my grave (I’m nearly retired, so it should last a reasonable 40 years).

Jasper_K · November 30, 2014, 1:34pm

True, it is hard to know now, but from what I’ve experienced, many people (myself including) often want the new version of what we currently have! I am trying to be better in this respect and be content with what I have!

Jerry · December 1, 2014, 10:49am

I was planning on keeping my FP1 for quite a bit longer than the 2 years I’ve used my previous phone. However, this was while I was under the assumption we’d be getting new Android releases. Now that this turns out not to be the case I’m kind of worrying about the longevity of this phone, mostly due to the lack of Bluetooth LE support.

humorkritik · December 1, 2014, 1:44pm

I think a lot of people active on this forum don’t fall into that category - but maybe the majority of FP owners might still. But they probably won’t appear on this thread, then.

Personally, I work on a laptop which is now seven years old, and over time added the maximum amount of RAM, replaced the HDD against an SDD, and the battery. I also crunch numbers on it from time to time, but usually send harder tasks off to be parallelised on one of the workstations (with 16 cores and 96 GB of RAM). Suits me.

There are two reasons why I would replace my laptop - and I will also replace my Fairphone for analogue reasons:
a) I run a recent iteration of OS on my laptop. When I can’t run current software and a next-to-secure OS the laptop will have to be replaced. (Even today, my admin would probably not allow XP machines to be in our domain. I’m not going to find out.)

b) When I have to replace the battery again and can’t get one which suits me, the laptop also has reached it’s EOL. When I replaced original battery, I was really upset that I could not get a spare original for a decent price. So I bought a retail version and went down from the original 8+ to below four hours of working capacity, which was a bummer. Now, I can’t even get an original one any longer, since the manufacturer went on and is using a different kind of connector. Screw that.

When the same happens with my pocket computer, aka Fairphone, it will have to go. OS and battery are key components. Keep them replaceable, and the phone will last.

dbrgn · December 1, 2014, 2:25pm

I plan on keeping it for 3-4 years at least, but that depends on software updates.

I already broke the screen last week, but that’s replaceable. If software is not upgradeable, that’s a bummer though and will make me reconsider that question.

Carola_Siegel · December 1, 2014, 2:32pm

Since I have lots of nephews and nieces (using their parents’ old phones) I am tempted to upgrade to FP2 2nd batch, whenever this may be on the market.
Supporting the Fairphone project at a rather early stage was quite the opposite of my usual policy of buying mature products after the release of the next version, thus giving me the best price-performance ratio.
But I’m not in a hurry - could use the phone for years - and certainly planning to take the phone apart at least once before I pass it over to my Techie nephew who would appreciate a free phone to fiddle around with and try out new operating systems without his parents killing him for the idea.