Thanks for the Fair trade lecture, whoâd of known!!!
If a phone is significantly crapper for twice as much money then it brings the FT âbrandâ into disrepute. That is is an abject failure.
OK
a) where did you get the idea that the main selling point is âlong software support and repairability.â
b) I have phone 10 years old that work fine but donât have Wi-Fi calling and that was an âessentialâ feature. But there are many other phones cheaper and the only reason I bought is fairtrade.
c) So yes I would have bought a glued brick if it had been âfair tradeâ as all the phones Iâve had have lasted a min of six years with absolutely no problems.
1 Like
Thatâs my point, money is the key to most peoples motivation. Thatâs where a few nerds can help as they have other motivations, hopefully other than saving money or having to earn more.
As far as âdisreputeâ as you noted it a laughing matter.
Self respect
I voted satisfied, bordering on neutral. It has a few annoyances that slowly drive me mad but overall Iâm satisfied, Iâd say.
- I canât hold the phone in my hand when Iâm out in the sun and in a phone call, because it keeps turning the screen off. Itâs been like this for upwards of 8 months now and Iâm blown away by the fact it hasnât been fixed yet
- The default camera app is meh in semi-low light areas. This would normally be okay for me, but the missing CameraX API means my Gcam app canât live up to its full potential. So do I essentially stop using one of the 2 cameras or do I get inferior picture quality? I chose Gcam.
- Iâll believe we are getting Android 12 this year when I see it. Iâve seen no mentioning of a public beta, and that typically comes months before the official release.
I bought it for the 5 years of Android update support + the replaceable battery. So far, Iâm pretty meh on the battery life and pretty negative to the Android update support. Iâd rate the phone a 6/10, where 5/10 is average. Most of this comes from me having used a Pixel 6a in a store. The Pixel 6a sells for 200 bucks less than the Fairphone 4, and it felt like using a rocketship in comparison.
I get that the hardware being repairable will have some severe cutbacks when it comes to performance and I was fully expecting that.
⊠However, I wasnât expecting the software support to be this bad 
4 Likes
Iâm satisfied, but Iâve been running iodĂ© since the first or so week.
2 Likes
Seit Anfang Oktober besitze ich das Fairphone 4. Hier sind meine ersten EindrĂŒcke:
- Hardware / Software: da ich mein Smartphone ausschlieĂlich geschĂ€ftlich nutze und mit der Kamera nur SchnappschĂŒsse mache, komme ich mit dem Fairphone-Set Up sehr gut klar. Gewicht und GröĂe sind fĂŒr mich unerheblich, es ist schnell, ruckelt nicht, Telefonie ist gut verstĂ€ndlich. Ich habe den Microsoft Launcher geladen und habe damit eine âMicrosoft-kompatibleâ OberflĂ€che.
- e/OS: ZunĂ€chst einmal einen herzlichen Dank an die Fairphone Community. Ăberhaupt ist diese Community fĂŒr mich die beste, die ich bisher im Netz gesehen habe, was Information und WertschĂ€tzung untereinander betrifft. Mit den verschiedenen Links war es selbst fĂŒr mich recht leicht möglich, e/OS zu installieren. GefĂŒhlt ist mein Fairphone 4 jetzt ohne google âschlankerâ und schneller als vorher. e/OS lĂ€uft absolut stabil.
- und noch etwas: um nicht den Audio-Klinkenadapter extra bei Fairphone bestellen zu mĂŒssen, kaufte ich bei meinem HĂ€ndler einen Samsung-Adapter USB c auf Klinke (wenig Geld investiert, um es auszuprobieren). Es funktionierte natĂŒrlich nicht. Mit dem Umstieg auf e/OS wurde der Adapter von meinem Fairphone erkannt und ich kann meine Musik hören - a very nice âside effectâ.
Alles in allem bin ich sehr zufrieden, zum ersten Mal ein âvernĂŒnftigesâ Smartphone zu besitzen. Mit dem GerĂ€t wie mit der UnterstĂŒtzung im Forum.
Update:
Ich habe gestern mein e/OS aktualisiert und seit dem lÀuft mein Fairphone 4 mit Android 12.
I have owned the Fairphone 4 since the beginning of October. Here are my first impressions:
- Hardware / software: as I use my smartphone exclusively for business and only take snapshots with the camera, I get on very well with the Fairphone set-up. Weight and size are irrelevant to me, it is fast, does not jerk, telephony is well understood. I have loaded the Microsoft Launcher and thus have a âMicrosoft-compatibleâ interface.
- e/OS: First of all, many thanks to the Fairphone community. In general, this community is the best I have seen on the net so far in terms of information and appreciation for each other. With the various links, it was quite easy even for me to install e/OS. It feels like my Fairphone 4 is now âslimmerâ and faster than before without google. e/OS runs absolutely stable.
- and one more thing: in order not to have to order the audio jack adapter extra from Fairphone, I bought a Samsung adapter USB c to jack from my dealer (little money invested to try it out). It didnât work, of course. With the switch to e/OS, the adapter was recognised by my Fairphone and I can listen to my music - a very nice âside effectâ.
All in all, I am very happy to have a âdecentâ smartphone for the first time. With the device as well as with the support in the forum.
Update:
I updated my e/OS yesterday and since then my Fairphone 4 is running Android 12.
6 Likes
Looool this is brilliant!
I voted satisfied. In general Iâm very happy with it and I can see myself keeping it for a long time.
I only have three areas where Iâm disappointed:
- The camera is bad but passable. Itâs possible to get good photos but not of anything thatâs moving or in low light.
- The device is too big. I understand their reasons, and accept that it is the standard these days, but whenever I pick up my work-issued iPhone, it feels so much more manageable. Some people have said they have gotten used to this, as have I, but I am not going to move away from my opinion that smaller is better.
- Stock Android 11 doesnât feel modern. I am hoping Android 12 improves this. There are other software problems, but honestly I have never had an Android (including the big players) where there arenât some software problems.
But overall I have a reliable phone and I would not change it.
Android 12 will provide one hand mode, which makes the size more manageable.
Unfortunately that isnât going to solve 99% of the problems I have with the size, such as the weight distribution, the physical width of the device in hand, or the discomfort in my trouser pockets. But I accept it would allow me to use the device one-handed, which I canât currently without accidental touches.
To be fair I do use the official case which adds some bulk.
2 Likes
I voted very unsatisfied. Iâve been using FP4 since April 2022. I would return it if I could, or give it to some friend, but of course, people would laugh when they saw this brick. There are multiple reasons, starting from non-existent software support (whereâs the Android 12-13? and Iâm still on Sept 2022 security update), the potato camera, random reboots (seems to be related to roaming and SIM/operator combo), no headphone jack, weight, shape, lack of accessories, eSIM, operator support (I donât have VoLTE or 5G working despite my operator supporting it), overall cheep feeling of the device, despite the price. The list goes on. Just to be clear, Iâm on stock firmware, not rooted and with a locked bootloader.
Hereâs my review on Amazon: Amazon.de
Edit: re-reading my review, Iâm considering putting this phone in a drawer and getting something modern and supported. So much for sustainability.
2 Likes
Hi Jorge although you are clearly grossly disappointed I am curious about the content
-
Brick you donât mean software type and unusable but in terms of size and weight general disappointment which weighs heavy on you.
-
With this heavy burden you encounter
- I imagine you knew the price was related to the Fair Trade aspect and consequently it would be a state of the art phone and that you may have serious misgiving when using it with anything other than moderate expectations.
Weight This info was available before purchase so that surely was expected, or had you not checks the specs.
- I imagine you knew the price was related to the Fair Trade aspect and consequently it would be a state of the art phone and that you may have serious misgiving when using it with anything other than moderate expectations.
-
Same with headphone jack, clearly noted in the sales specs
-
e-SIM I would have thought if someone wanted to use an e-SIM they would check compatibility before purchasing a phone
-
Functionality with certain carriers seems to be an issue and again that can be discovered on purchase and the phone returned if it doesnât work well or well enough in your area.
-
OS security etc. clearly slow to be pushed but doesnât brick the phone
And Iâm sure the list does go on, but clearly your experience is just that, yours.
My daughter seems happy with hers, I have 2 FP3s. And although akin to you in that I would not recommend a Fairphone to anyone other that a Fair Trade Freak I wouldnât give it a bad review as that just seems a waste of more resources.
On the matter of wasted resources, putting in a draw is a great example of waste.
You could advertise it here and get some funds for a new phone. You may even get enough to cover a new one.
Giving it to a friend I agree, would be embarrassing, I wouldnât do that even with one of my seemingly perfect FP3s but Iâm sure I could find someone that would appreciate your FP4 
All the best and that for pouring out your heart 
3 Likes
Please, stop with this one liner that makes no sense in the context discussed. This starts to become embarrassing, so many people have issues with this phone. You cannot tell everyone that your daughter is happy with the phone and others should be as well. What @Jorge lists are issues everyone can reproduce. Granted, some of them were known in advance such as the headphone jack.
But updates delayed for such a long period may not brick your phone, but for sure are a huge security issue. An example:
These issues need to be addressed. For some this phone may not be worth more than a brick indeed due to FP failing to fix them. Itâs been a year. Surely we can expect improvements, even the small issues like the jumping arrows hasnât been fixed. Instead, they add another notification bar issue by not testing their landscape change which now cuts of icons.
FP needs to hear this feedback and should not be sugarcoated or downplayed. Otherwise they will never improve their products. This feedback is intended to make these devices more usable during our day to day tasks. We know itâs not an iPhone. But we did pay good money for it, it should also be fair for the end user.
5 Likes
Sure it must be embarrasing for some, it is for me and I donât even have one. Just reading it is not pleasant, but as I said not everyone will have the same experience. Maybe Iâll ask my daughter to post a comment, but you may know how it is ~ those with no problems donât often visit the forum, if ever.
As for âgoodâ money, thereâs no such thing in my opinion but where it is used does show something about the user.
Take care
1 Like
Jorge can complain if he feels so but some of his complaints were known before buying the phone. In that, I follow Amoun. And in the same way somebody can be disappointed, somebody else can be satisfied.
My experience with Fairphone is that monthly security updates slow down when we get closer to an upgrade release. I think people in charge of the security updates go and help for the Android upgrade.
Since the hardware receives no update quite fast, I donât think a stupid Fairphone is a good investment in terms of security. Which also is known since the FP1.
6 Likes
Weird, I didnât read the whole thread, however I must say, reading of all the issues, I donât have ONE of those mentioned by different people.
I can complain about the weight, or the fingerprint sensor position (I really find it difficult both to use it and to avoid it!), but for the rest, my FP4 is perfect.
Iâm a heavy user, but also always carefully monitoring how apps behave (or better, misbehave, Iâm a software engineer, you knowâŠ)
Quite generic advice, but I suggest to those who have issues to also try to monitor apps in the same way.
Just my 2 cents here, from a satisfied customer.
7 Likes
Maybe you should explain us how to monitor our installed apps ? It could be helpful for many.
Ah, yes, weâre holding it wrong. It must be my banking app (Rabobank, Dutch) that prevents VoLTE from being enabled for one of the SIMs, bad camera and microphone quality, slow software updates and reboots when I enable data on my eSIM (KPN, also Dutch) when roaming in some countries. You nailed it, mate. Youâre a software developer, you know better.
For everybody else saying some thing were obvious before buying, like the lack of a headphone jack or size and weight. Yes, however a crappy camera and microphone is not something I could have possibly imagined on a 2021 phone, as I used much cheaper phones where both worked much better. In fact this is the first phone since the early 00s that people complain about not hearing me. And the camera is embarrassing. I donât expect much from a phone in terms of IQ or dynamic range, but this is barely serviceable.
3 Likes
Taking the camera and mic issues separately you may find some help by searching for similar topics and if you canât resolve either with user help then maybe contact support officially.
I voted neutral:
- Iâm not unhappy that I bought a fp4
- I have a hard time recommending it as an upgrade for people who are looking for a new phone.
So overall feeling definitely neutral.
I will stick with my fp4 after having had several issues with not being able to repair flagship models from major brands (and I tried, even forking out as much as a new phoneâs worth for a new Huawei screen, being left with no usable speaker in the end). I need to be able/be allowed to repair what I own, which fp does a great job of. And I will take a lot of compromise to give me that.
However my partner wants to upgrade from her S7 after all these years and I am currently telling her to go with a 2 year old flagship model from Google or Samsung. She will get several years of good use out of it and will get nearly state of the art camera and phone performance, she knows eventually she will have to carry a battery pack to keep her phone running, but she is fine with thatâŠ
Will I get a new fp when this one finally gives up, with proper maintenance and targeted repairs?
Not sure at this stage, letâs see what the right to repair movement achieves in that time with other brandsâŠ
2 Likes