Latest news [11-07-2017] and FAQ - Fairphone 1 KitKat 4.4.4 update

Wow. Didn’t expect news on the FP1 update anymore. Highly frustrating to receive newsletters about FP2 updates meanwhile. I am already looking for a new non-FP phone now, as the FP2 will likely run into the same problems. I’m done with the project, really. I feel very sad about that as I loved and still love the concept. But: I need a working and (more or less) secure phone. Mehhh :frowning:

1 Like

Indeed, it’s highly unlikely that FP2 will run into the same problems in the same time frame. Android 6 will come shortly (as the newsletter said) and it will receive security updates as long as Google provides them. What makes FP1 insecure is the lack of security patches because Google stopped releasing them for Jelly Bean. To date there are still security patches being released for KitKat so security patches for Marshmallow should be available for years to come.

1 Like

I am exactly in the same situation. This is sad but I think that I can understand the reasons behind it. I mean, there is no such thing as a free lunch. And Technical Support of any kind does consume a lot of resources in the tech world. Fairphone is an ambitious project but cannot compete in every aspect.

Have you ever thought of making a special offer targeted for F1 fairphone users?

Nevertheless I feel proud of having supported Fairphone project and I still think Fairphone is an inspiring project. Don’t give up!

Regards

Regards

1 Like

My FP1 can no longer support the apps I need. Another update on the update please! Is KitKat coming soon? I’m willing to wait another month or so but otherwise I need to buy a new phone.
You’re loosing customers Fairphone… :frowning:

1 Like

Unfortunately the same applies to me. I’ve waited long enough as it is, and more and more apps are not or no longer compatible. The FP1 went to my wife (only for use as phone and some apps like WhatsApp, but no banking or other security risky apps).
And against my own wishes I now have a not-so-fair-but-fully-working phone :frowning:

A post was merged into an existing topic: :de: Fairphone 1 - Android upgrade

Sorry guys, but I’ve left Fairphone users now… I’m very sad because I used to believe in the spirit of Faiphone. My FP1 running “so-so” under 4.4 (rooted) and no perspective since 4 month (or more ), I don’t believe in Faiphone 1… And I’ve seen that FP2 is under Android 6.0 Oo
Thanks for all these years, and good luck :slight_smile:

The comments about the android version for the FP1 I totally agree but what is wrong with android 6.0 for the FP2? If you are concened about the version of android maybe you should think by yourself if the FP philosophy is really applies on you. By design it is never the newest hardware or software (because lack of support of the hardware manufactures).

2 Likes

We have a FP1 (First Edition!) and a FP2.
OS-Update for FP2 Android 6.0 is ok.
It’s not ok that you do not develop FP1. It is reliable, tough, doesn’t need much accu, it’s smaller than FP2.
Hey folks, it is NOT an old thing to throw in the dustbin. I think you habe the commitment not to forget the FP1.
Regards frpm Bavaria
Nic

Reading the status in the very first post in this thread it is especially not true that they do not develop FP1…

3 Likes

Say this to the chipset manufacturer (MediaTek) and the app developers (who were dropping support for Android versions 4.2 and/or 4.4).

5 Likes

But again we do not get an update :frowning:
This is it not making customers happy!
I as one first investors in Fairphone feel betrayed as I don’t get any info that may help me :frowning:
It would be easy to report regularly on the on-going of the updating by reporting how much of the repositories already have been ported/tested. How many known bugs are there.
By this one could make up its mind!
Instead of this you get a notice very now and then telling you “it is difficult to port”.

Regarding chipset manufacture: This would should been a topic already when FP1 was developed!
Telling the crowd-founders to develop a sustainable phone, but then using a chipset that cannot evolve is not a good story, is it?

“Predicitons are difficult. Especially of the future” How do you know that in 2 years the Chipset-vendor will drop support for new Android versions?
I share your frustration but I think that it is not necessarily the fault of the FP-people (if they asked and were lied to by the Chipset-vendor)

3 Likes

I don’t blame them. Those old Android version aren’t being used much nowadays and are missing many features of newer versions.

But what features does a typical app need? If it’s only the most up-to-date Android SDK then to hell with those features. Android as it is practiced today is obsolescence by design. Fairphone at least tries to mitigate this as well as possible.

7 Likes

Yes, prediction is an art of it’s own, but Android 4.2 was outdated already when Fairphone 1 was delivered, but it was claimed by FP to be up-to-date back then (although Andriod 5.0 was already published)!
All crowd-founders obviously accepted it, but the promise of sustainability includes sustainability in software and this promise was obviously broken from the first moment!
With raising FP2 (which might be technical more advanced) it seemed that only FP2 is supported, FP1 and the original supporters (who made the FP2 possible!!!) were abandoned! Nobody gave real sustainable, reliable information!

To phrase it differently: Sustainability is also a topic of information!! And this part of sustainability is missed completely to FP1users!

So I feel like a CASH COW and I am frustrated and I will not recommend buying a FP based on this experience!

I also claim that by giving more info to the community about problems/current state would have prevented this mistrust that I had develop over the last years!
I claim the info policy!

3 Likes

According to Google’s survey, every fifth Android device (= 20.0 %) runs with Android 4.4 (KitKat). And every 20th Android device (= 5.1 %) runs with Android 4.2 (Jelly Bean).

So, if nearly one third (= 31.9 %) of all Android devices still use “those old Android versions” (before 5.0 Lollipop), one can say that this versions are still much used.

7 Likes

As an original fairphone buyer I accept that the my money was used to kickstart a project which is still working towards its final goals. FP1 was never going to be perfect and its a shame that the lifetime of the software was hurt buy closed source parts. But without it there would never have been FP2 (which I plan to order soon). If I could donate directly towards software upgrades to FP1 I would. FP1 still works great as my main phone, but I am not heavy app user.

18 Likes

Aaaaaahhhhhhh tanks for this comment. I have the same point of view. And I’m happy to hear this.

4 Likes

That depends on the app, of course.

And for most apps it would certainly be possible to maintain backwards compatibility with old Android versions.

But it is way more easy to e.g. only support the Material Design (so Lollipop and up) - you wouldn’t need to add a Holo design or use the Android Support Library.
The permission system on Marshmallow and up is another example where having to support a wide range of old versions makes apps way more complex than they need to be.

If I were to make an app, I would try to support KitKat to Nougat (simply because they are the currently supported versions).

3 Likes