My FP2: 4 years and counting

Also clinging to my 4yr old FP2 first booted on 18th February 2016.
Similar signs of ageing, pixelated screen whilst scrolling, slow app starting, slow response if too many apps are let running. Two replaced bottom modules, two outer cases and permanently in 3G mode as it self reboots too often when using the GPS and 4G LTE. Was offered a complete swap by Fairphone when reported this within the 2-year warranty but I couldn’t find another loaner phone for the 2wk turn around at the time so just stopped using 4G.
Was sick of my iPhone 3s getting slower, unchargable and unusable when I read about Fairphone, By comparison my FP2 is slow but still usable as long as you treat it with a great deal of patience and care. Hoping the next software upgrade will breath some life into the old dog yet.
Would love a 4yr badge if I can get one.
Thanks all,
Ralph

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Is there still enough internal storage left available or is it pretty filled?

I reached the 4 years mark earlier this month!
Lately I had random reboots again after many months without, sometimes the mic would not work and calls were impossible, it had spotify crashing very often and I could not show off my phone and recommend it to others, since I faced several problems during these 4 years.
So today… I received a brand new FP3!
Very happy so far, now I just need to send over all my data and send the FP2 to recycle :slight_smile:

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@urs_lesse it does get super slow with less than 5Gb free… I try to keep the internal storage as clear as I can, but email apps and others that insist on not using the SD card for non essential large files keep filling it up again. If only the default camera app could shoot video to the SD card.
I’ve just cleared out a load of unnecessary files then upgraded to build 19.11.1 (Android 7.1.2) and much to my surprise my FP2 has become more responsive, far fewer delays. I’d have expected late versions of Android to be more resource heavy and ultimately slower. However the pixelating screen and random reboots still seem to happen but keeping not to many apps on the go and manual reboots will hopefully at least get me to the 5 year mark and beyond!

I actually had my FP1 for almost 5 years (August 2014 - March 2019). And I battered her pretty badly too. Even after falling into the toilet, it kept going (albeit with some hickups) for another few months.
Admittedly, I had accepted the fact that the phone heated up really badly when calling longer than fifteen minutes, but as I never call that long, I didn’t mind. Apart from that, I only had one battery switch.

After the FP1 gave way (because I couldn’t buy spare parts anymore in 2019), I’ve been on a really old smartphone for a year now, without any apps working, so it’s time to get my next FP, which has been ordered this week. I hope I’ll make it to 5 years again!

Glad to see happy FP2 users. I have my hopes up for the FP3 :slight_smile:

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If it crams up again, you could move videos to the SD card manually every now and then. It might actually make sense to let them be saved to the internal storage first for speed reasons. But nothing should stand in the way of moving completed videos and photos to the card. :slight_smile:

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I have my FP2 since 19th July 2016. Would be happy to get the badge, too.

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Exactly 4 years today!
I would be happy to get the badge, too.

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Hey look. I can make a wall of text.
I can get a badge when I post here? Ok.
I preordered my FP2 in 2015 and got it in February or March 2016.
Had the black case replaced, because it failed. The display was one of the ones with the failure and had been replaced. I bought a USB cable that works with a magnet, so the plug stays in the jack and it will be more safe.
Now the display makes problems again. The support said my main module is slowly dying. The case was closed a few days before the FP3+ was announced. I had said I will search for a repair shop by myself.
Now I’m waiting for my preordered FP3+ and hope it is still possible to get money when I send my FP2 back for the recycling program.
The “best” longevity that I saw was the FP2 of a friend of mine and her boyfriend. He had the FP1. Some time later both of them had the FP2 with the new camera. After a while I saw that they had new phones. I asked her why she had a new phone. She told me that the USB jack was making problems. So she bought a new phone. I told her that the bottom module can easily replaced. She said somewhat surprised “It can be replaced?”. Now I was somewhat surprised. He had the FP1. They both bought the FP2 to have new phones and support the company and its ideas I think. But when It comes to some problems. They buy new phones like anybody else. I’m no fanboy who says “It is ok that the phone is very hard to use and the bugs are don’t getting fixed. Because I support a good company and a movement.” I had complained about that damn thing like everybody else when it was making problems again. It was good to have the community to find a quick workaround till a fix was there. But I would never say “It’s making problems. I just buy a new phone.” I got it because it was so easy to repair by myself.

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Hey @vthejay
Where did you order anFP2 core module from? Mine is also faulty and wondered where I can get it repaired/replaced?

I bought a broken FP2 (broken screen and broken bottom module) for very little money, tested it and found out that my core module was alright after all…and then sold the broken FP2 on ebay…again for very little money…long long back. :slight_smile:

I still need a battery and a bottom module now, but I can still use a headset for the few times I need to make or take a call. :slight_smile:

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turned on my FP2 for the first time on February 15 2016 and after exchanging the bottom module twice, the display once and the camera module for the new version it’s still working. to be objective: i had a lot of trouble with the device and still suffer from random reboots and lags in daily use BUT its pretty cool to be able to repair the phone by yourself and all in all the phone was a loyal companion so far.
Although I really appreciate the philosophy and the effort of the company about fair production and working conditions, the unstableness of the devices (friend has a severe problem with calls on FP3) makes it very unlikely for me to ever buy a Fairphone again.

Well, the FP2 was - regarding the modularity - a kind of experimental design, that took the modularity too far. The click and snap connections in combination with a - in total - very flexible phone did often result in bad contacts between the modules and deterrioration of the contacts.
Regarding the reboots, that I myself had as well with my FP2. In my case, they were caused by a slightly too large battery frame and FP sent me a small plastic shim, that I put in the battery frame (it’s self-adhesive). Since then, no reboots anymore; not even when carrying it in the trouser pockets and movin in all ways.

Regarding your friends problem with the FP3.
Judging by what I read in the forum, that could be a problem with the upgrade to Android 10.
As it seems this is a problem of the OS, with some real troubles for some users, while most users are not affected. While there are workarounds for some problems, a solution could be to downgrade again to Android 9 for the time being; since Fairphone is frantically working on it.
Your friend should - in any case - report the problem to Fairphone support and include all the important information:

  • what is the problem (unknown user, no sound …)
  • what OS version is installed
  • network provider and country
  • are there special situations, when the problem occurs (turning on wifi, switching between wifi and 4G …)

In general the FP2 and FP3 can not be compared designwise and therefore the kind and amount of problems associated with the FP2 have not shown in this forum for the FP3 so far. The upgrade to Android 10 - in my perception - was the first real troublemaker; and if I got it right, those problems did not occur on the FP3+‘s, that were delivered with Android 10 by default.
Maybe use your FP2 some more time, as long as it can be considered a loyal companion; and when the time comes, who knows. Maybe your friends’ experience with the FP3 is better, maybe there is a FP3++ or maybe there is another company offering fair modular phones … :wink:

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A post was merged into an existing topic: My FP2: 3 years and counting

Well, if I remember it right, it was during the holidays at the end of the year 2015 when the first FP2s were delivered to their new owners. Time to create a “My FP2: 5 years and counting” topic … but I would have to lie if I did that because the possessive pronoun “my” would be wrong :wink: (see my profile title).

So … anyone who wants to volunteer to create a new topic? :slight_smile:

UPDATE: Here it is, thanks to @d2w

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“Anyone’s FP2: 5 years and counting” … there, fixed that for you :wink: .

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Celebrating my 4 years with my FP2 now. Just another year to meet my minimum requirement of a 5 year time of live.
Always have been very happy about my choice.

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I received my Fairphone 2 four years ago today. And it still runs with Lineage os, except for the quirks with restarting, I have no problems. I hope it will serve me for a few more years.

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I got my Fairphone 2 four years ago.
It’s still working fine as my backup phone, it’s running /e/ for that now.
I don’t recall any major trouble with it.

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