I am considering buying a Fairphone 2. I really love the project idea of a fair phone, and the open-source possibilities for software. However, taking a look to the forum, I have seen that next fairphone should not be expected until 2018…that is not that far!! I can imagine myself buying this phone, expecting it last for 5 years and next year, 2018, trying to sell it in order to buy a new phone…but then what’s the point about modularity??? If that is goiFng to be the case i would consider buying a second-hand Fairphone 2…
I have seen that a lot of other phones come with better specifications, like 3Gb RAM, and things like that…does Fairphone 2 work ok with its specifications? I actually have a 1Gb RAM that works properly, so do not expect to have problems in that sense…(i want to change it because something with calls is failing from time to time).
Fairphone 2 wasn’t perfect when it was first sold in January 2016, but since then Fairphone has improved the manufacturing processes and I think that FP2 is more mature now. When a FP3 comes out (be aware that 2018 ends on the 31st December ), it might have teething problems like FP2 had them in the beginning.
And although Google/Qualcomm won’t allow for a Google version of Android 7 on the FP2, the community will ensure updates in the long-term (and @z3ntu is in fact already working on Lineage OS based on Android Nougat).
I would wait for the FP3. I bought a FP2 in July 2016 and I’m rather disappointed about this phone. I’m experiencing many unexpected reboots and looking at the forums looks like others has the same issue and there is no clear solution.
The case is not also nor resistant at all. Mine is broken (around the headset jack) and I have a friend who had the same problem. I just bought a new one and it’s cost me 40 euros for few inches of plastic. That’s not very fair…
The forum is the community and has no insight into the processes at the company. So we don’t know anything until there is an official announcement.
Not until 2018 can also mean it will come 2020.
The difference to an unfair, unmodular phone in this scenario would be that the person who buys it from you can probably still use it for 4 years and be happy with it.
That’s of course a good idea too. If you are not planning to keep the phone as long as possible even if a new model comes out, then it makes sense to get one that doesn’t have that long anymore anyway.
I have not found myself in a single situation where I wished for better specs. Well maybe the battery life - that is always something that could be improved.
Well that’s just not true. There is a troubleshooting tool on the FP website for all common issues an FP2 can have. You are asked to do a few things to try and fix/diagnose the issue and if those can’t solve it the tool always ends with you contacting support to get a replacement.
If you want to do further troubleshooting before asking for a return there are more detailed guides for many issues on the forum, e.g. for random reboots they are here.
The old case breaking is a known issue and FP designed the new slim cases that don’t have that issue. Old broken cases are replaced for free.
I doubt the next Fairphone will be released in 2018. For such a small company, big releases like this tend to be late a lot. I’d expect it in 2019, maybe. If you would buy a Fairphone 2 now, I don’t quite understand why you would have to buy FP3 if that would come out in 2018? I have the FP2 and it works just fine.
Development of the Fairphone 3 is at a very early stage, there are no real specifications or anything to go on apart from the basic direction given in the latest interview. How do you know that this new phone will fit your needs?
But given the final specs are out and you like them … what if availability gets seriously delayed … or Fairphone change the announcement to 2019? Such things happen all the time.
But given it really is available let’s say Q4 2018 … what if your needs or use cases changed until then?
If you are in need of a phone now, then consider the options available now.
If you are in need of a phone later, I think you could at least wait until Fairphone flesh out the final specifications of the next phone to get an idea of whether it fits your projected needs, but don’t take 2018 for granted.
Same for me. I was quite disapointed at the beginning but with the new cover and Android 6 update the phone is very stable and the battery life got MUCH better. The only thing I still don’t like is the camera. It would be great if there would be a new and better camera module - but I guess that will never be the case
Actually a new camera module was already announced! However, I don’t know when it comes out (and for me, it wouldn’t make any difference since I hardly use my phone’s camera).
Just asked FPSupport:
<<Unfortunately we don’t know the exact date the new camera will be
available.
We are still working on it! So we recommend to keep an eye on our forum and
web shop!>>
Greetz
Toon
I already read the troubleshooting tool but the solution for random reboot is simply : Keep your phone up-to-date. At least now I have more information about the case and I changed it so will see.
About the old broken case it would have been nice to inform your customers then because I didn’t read anywhere. In any case I still found the price of the case way too expensive even if it’s fair-made.
That’s not “the solution”. That is the first step in the tool. If it didn’t help then tap “no” as in “no the problem is not solved” and the tool goes on.
After your opinion, I feel quite “for” buying a new Fairphone 2. The ones I have seen second handed for sale are not that cheap, so I think I’ll pay a bit more for a new one. I hope it lasts a lot!!
Any ideas of when would it arrive? The shop website says “preorder”. I think I read somewhere around september…
When you click the pre-order button, the website says “Pre-order now for delivery by September 1”. So you might have to wait around 3 months to get your device.
Besides that, now we have (unofficial but well working) LineageOS support for the Fairphone 2, I’m very confident that this device should last at least for the next 3 to 4 years. So I can only recommend buying the FP2 (if you intend to install LineageOS).
), it might have teething problems like FP2 had them in the beginning.
.
However, I don’t know when it comes out (and for me, it wouldn’t make any difference since I hardly use my phone’s camera).