Keep FP2 or buy FP3?

Discuss The Products
1

Hello,

My name is Sjaak and I’m from the Netherlands.
Since 08-2016 I’m a happy FP2 user. Even with the coming and solving of troubles.

At this moment I am experiencing a few problems with my FP2, this gives me 2 options:

  • Trying to keep my FP2 alive
  • Buying the FP3

Problems FP2:

  • Loses network connection. (I’ve tried another SIM slot) - (I’ve checked the atenna cable connection) - (Tomorrow my new SIM card arrives, hopefully this works)
  • Poor sound quality from rear speaker and charging plug isn’t firm, it can easily fall out. (Buying a new bottom module will fix this, but is it worth it?)
  • Sometimes it suddenly reboots, roughly once a week. It used to be much worse, so I can live with it.
  • My SD-card slot is broken off. I accidentally demolished it… Since I can do without it I’ve never fixed it. But I think that some of my problems can be related to this broken part. How could I fix this? And would this solves other problems, like the rebooting?
  • The FP has some accident damage. Trying to search for problems I found that 2 screws of the core module came undone. I fixed this, but it didn’t fix any problems. I’m afraid my FP is suffering from some internal bleedings…

About FP3:

  • Is it much better than the FP2?
  • With the FP2 I needed to tackel quite a lot of problems. Is the FP3 more rugged?
  • I’m struggeling with the ethical aspect. What is the impact on the enviroment when buying the FP3 in comparison to keeping the FP2?

Thanks in advance!

Sjaak

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2

Hello and welcome to the community! :slight_smile:

Congrats, I granted you the according badges :wink:

It’s perhaps due to a loose battery, or to a connection problem with the screen.

You can’t, or you would need excellent electronics and repairing skills, or change the core-module. But that would be equivalent to changing 75% of the phone and is expensive.

Without owning one myself, yes to both I’d say. Design-wise it’s much more sturdy and solid, and FP learnt from their design mistakes with the FP2. The screen holds with 13 screws and not only clips and they replaced the pogo connectors of the modules with regular connectors, both making it less prone to contact problems (though slower to open up).
That means that hardware/design problems that could not be solved on the FP2 are more or less eliminated on the FP3. Software-wise, they seem to have rushed the update to android 10 and it seems to have quite a few bugs, though they are working on it and are intending to release a big update sometime (can’t say when though). Though not everyone has these issues on their FP3, be ready to have a few software bugs if you buy one (probably not more than on FP2 though).

You kept your FP2 for 4 years, that’s already very good! It’s one time and a half more than the average in Europe. Moreover, your issues seem quite serious and I’m rather pessimistic as for solving them. It’s of course yours to see how much you want to invest in it and whether it’s worth it, I’m afraid I wouldn’t know either, though I think you shouldn’t feel guilty about dropping your phone, you did what you could to live with it, you have the right to have a working phone! :slight_smile:
The FP3 should contain more fair materials and recycled plastics than the FP2, and the FP3+ even more! So “fair”-wise, the FP3+ is much improved in comparison with the FP2.
Keeping your actual phone will always be better for the environment, because you won’t buy a new one. I think Fairphone doing well in finding the balance between sustainability and keeping your phone as long as possible, and having a working phone that suits most of your needs, and that is not deprecated and unsecure. Or at least, I think they are going in the right direction in this matter :slight_smile:

TL:DR: What I would do would be waiting on the android 9 update for FP2 to see if it helps (hoping it’ll arrive soon, but it should), and if it didn’t help, buy a (refurbished) FP3(+).

And please do a search on the forum, you’ll find this topic has been discussed many times :wink:

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Short version:
From what you are describing, I would recommend to make your decision dependent of whether you can regain network connectivity. If that succeeds, I think you can keep your FP2 which (keeping) is much more ecological than buying a new one.

A bit longer:
I would doubt that the weekly reboots are related to the damaged SD-card slot. The speaker and USB port issue can both be solved by the same replacement module which costs 25 €. It’s not clear to me if there are other problems with your FP2 that you did not specify – but if it’s “only” about connectivity and the bottom module problems, I’d still say connectivity is the do or die question. If that can be solved, keeping your FP2 is the clearly superior option in terms of the environment. The biggest ecological impact of a smartphone is its production, not its duration or intensity of use (in other words: buying a new phone outweighs the footprint of even very intensive use).

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4

A faulty SD card can trigger reboots as well, just FYI. (Of course, that does not apply if you have not inserted a SD card.)

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Tank you for your input. And thank you for the badges! I like your suggestion to wait for the android update. In the past I’ve noticed that updates sometimes can be very helpfull. Searching the forum is alway a good idea! :grin:

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Tank you. I think that the connectivity would be the do or die question. I’ll search some more for the possibilities of fixing this problem.

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Well, I bought F3 a year ago. Before that I had a F2 for 3 years. At that time I was fed up with all the troubles with F2.
The F3 is something completely different! It’s (almost) like comparing an old Volvo from the 80’s with a Tesla! Might be a little bit exaggerate, but anyway.
You have had your F2 for a long time. You understand what I think you should do…

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Thank you all! I have to say that I really like old Volvo’s, but old telephones a little less.

The do or die question in my situation is the network connection. After searching this forum and considering al the troubles the FP2 has survived I came to the conclusion that it’s not to be repaired (of course, everything is possible).

I’ve just ordered the FP3. My goal is to keep the FP3 longer than I’ve kept the FP2. To achieve this I’m gonna handle it more carefully.

This discussion can be closed.

Greetings from The Netherlands!

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