I would then suggest Fairphone to include some kind of message like āonly a few left!ā or a counter (ā100 left!ā) so that costumers know what to expect. And also pay a part of the price only since it is a reservation (I understand the phone has not been build yet).
Itās not a reservation, itās an order. And to my understanding the money is then used to manufacture the devices.
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From my point of view, you order something when it already exists (except for foodā¦unless it is fast food xD). If I order any other phone it has already being produced, and the production costs are an investment. I understand Fairphone is a small company and maybe it is too risky for them to produce a batch in advance, but I think they should pay in advance at least part of the production costs and then get it back when they ship the phones.
For instance, if Fairphone suddenly disappears, I might not get my money back. Or if there is any problem with the production and the delivery gets delayed.
That is my opinion at least.
When buying customized Laptops or a MacBook in high demand, itās quite common to pay before the device is even produced ;-). I have to say that the usual waiting time is much lower then ā 1 to 2 weeks instead of 4 months,
But, from a economically and ecologically, it makes sense the way it works now: Produce the phone in batches that are presold ensures that Fairphone does not produce Fraiphones above the demand. For a company of limited size and probably funding, that makes totally sense.
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Surely the waiting time shows a high demand.
If the long, long order time is a permanent state, I think many potential customers will not place an order. In my case, I ordered a phone because I needed one and couldnāt wait 3 months.
You can always buy from one of the many resellers, they often have devices in stock.
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On one hand iām happy to see that there is such a big demand for fairer electronics.
But on the other hand i need a phone NOW, and canāt wait 4 months for my fairphone to be produced.
If fairphone adjusts the production to the demand, and ships from stock, they will get even more orders (including mine).
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You can buy a fairphone 2 used from this forum and new at several retailers, depending on where you live.
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While Iām waiting for a new battery for my FP2 Iām back on my dadās old iPhone 4. And I have to admit I was shocked about the difference in quality (feel and use), even the iPhone 4 is quiet old now. Iām satisfied with the FP2 and Iām a fan of the modular concept, but you have to say that it canāt even compete with an 7 year old iPhone. If you buy an FP2 you have to make cuts in design (ergonomics), performance and you have to take in consideration that smaller or bigger errors in software and hardware appear on regular basis. And it can happen that your broken part is out of stock at the moment you need it and you canāt get it for months. So make sure you have a working second phone to get back to. Iām also a bit in a conflict with the sustainability aspect when I see how good the iPhone 4 works after 10 years and 8 years in usage without any repair. Iām not sure if my FP2 will work in 10 years and how much moduls Iāve to replace.
Iām not sure if I would buy a Fairphone again, I think would rather go with an used iPhone.
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According to Wikipedia and my memory, the iPhone 4 came to market in summer 2010. So itās seven, not ten years. Your point might is still valid, although you have to admit that there are no updates for the iPhone 4 since years and there will be more and more apps not compatible anymore.
I have a similar feeling regarding sustainable alone, but by buying a Fairphone you also supported their goals in raising awareness and funded their research on āfairā sourcing of minerals. For me, that is most important aspect and the reason for Fair in Fairphone.
As all plans Fairphone has regarding longlivity of software updates and spare parts are very hard to reach of a company depending on suppliers and software development at Google and chipset vendors, maybe Fairphone should focus their communication more on these goals and be very careful with promises on longlivity.
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Yes, youāre right. iPhone 4 was released in 2010. My mistake. But anyway a old phone. Yes, there are no updates and you wonāt get happy with it in a long term but Iām quiet convinced as a short term solution until my battery arrives. And I was really delighted by the feel of the phone when you hold it in your hand.
I think Fairphone should also work on longevity and delivering a better quality to avoid replacements. Using a product as long as possible is the most sustainable way. If I have to replace moduls due to malfunctions regularly and I can get them only the next 3 years, I really donāt know why I as a consumer should accept a much weaker product (software and hardware) compared to the market. An iPhone will also do itās job for 3 years. If I buy a used one I can also live with the sustainability aspect as I āconsumeā less scarce resources due to repairs.
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I agree! And in that regard, the FP1 did not deliver everything that was promised and you would be better of if you bought an iPhone 5S which cam to the market at the same time and still recieves the next major iOS update. I would have cost you more then double the money at that time. In case of software long-livety, it will be hard to beat or even match Apple |- an that is a big point.
But i wanted to emphasize that the Fair in Fairphone is about Fair minerals, better Working conditions etc as well. And i think if these issues are important to you, buying a Fairphone is still worth it.
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I think there is a trade-off between design and repairability involved. Imagine that you go to Appleās website, order a battery, wait for it, open the phone and replace the battery. And all of this without having any experience and without having to use any screwdriver. Hardly believable.
In my opinion, one of Fairphoneās goals, namely repairable phones, will be reached when Apple makes that dream come true.
PS.: For a deeper look into the design differences between iPhone 4 and Fairphone 2, check out their iFixit Teardowns (iPhone 4 | Fairphone 2).
Einige Probleme mit meinem FP2Well, as @Stefan already mentioned, the design and feel of an iphone comes at a price, considering repairability (at least by you, the customer) . Furthermore I deem it inappropriate to compare the handling of a 3.5" phone to a 5" phone. Of course itās an extreme difference, with the outcome of the comparison depending on the size of your hands.
Failure of modules of course is a problem. I just guess, that they are caused by a less severe quality control of the manufacturer. While for other (big money) phone manufacturers a supplier throws batches of modules simply in the bin, because they have a high error rate, he most likely will not akt likewise for fairphone. Therefore the new display has been improved hardwarewise as well as it is made by another supplier (if I got it right).
In my opinion itās equally unfair to compare Fairphone to Apple. 
(paranoid mode=on)
Handling an iPhone is a nightmare. I have to be very careful when pressing the button, because it will probably send my fingerprints to Apple.
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Is it worth to buy a Fairphone 2 in 2017?
NO.
Not because itĀ“s maybe based on old technology.
But FP2 has many quality problems.
And the fairphone company has many service issues.
If you need a new display (and a look in this forum tells you something like: Who not ?) and after 6 week of no response of the service team you buy it on your own (surprise: ItĀ“s possible to order !) you get the message:
Everybody only ONE display!
ThatĀ“s no problem for me (in the momentā¦), but whats the reason?
Are the people want to order 3 because there want to you use the phone for more than 6 months ?
Maybe this is ironic, maybe its only real + sad ā¦
A really disappointed user
[FP1 > bad battery > No spare parts anymore > No FP2 available > bought used FP2 3 months ago > now 2 months on trouble]
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They are still building up stock. I suppose it makes sense to sell one display per person (or more, if you bought more then one fairphone of course, to prevent people from stocking displays and selling them overpriced at eBay or something.
The answer to your question depends on a few factors:
- How long do you think youāll be able to use your current phone? Ie. how near EOL is your current phone, and how much can you stretch that?
- How important do you find the various strengths of the Fairphone? Ie. modularity, freedom of (open source) OS, easiness to replace hardware, sustainability of materials used, and the workers who made the hardware being paid and handled fair according to local ethics?
- How important do you find the disadvantages of the Fairphone? Mainly, that the hardware is at this time a bit outdated, that the price of the product didnāt go down compared to initial launch (for reasons, but still), and long wait times on delivery and customer support.
Nobody but you can answer your question or these subquestions. Thereās no easy yes/no.
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