Hi RSpliet - as I do not follow the global developments which you mentioned, I found your comment illuminating. If you are right, Fairphone cannot make a phone to meet future handset requirements and this is why it is stopping production. I should like to know why fairphone cannot make a handset to meet the new requirements though.
The news release by Fairphone was heavy on positivity - rightly. But I should like more comment from fairphone about what it thinks is its role in the future. I found it a weird news release in this respect as my first reaction was ‘Oh, they’re in financial trouble and have to wind up business’. If this is not the case, can they explain more?
Could it be that the “weird news release” isn’t telling the whole story. See the above information from Fairphone which is giving in the first post. There it says:
Oh I’m sorry if I my writing was ambiguous. I didn’t mean to say that Fairphone B.V. cannot make a handset that keeps a customer satisfied for 4-5 years if purchased today, but rather that the Fairphone 2, as it was sold, was unlikely to keep such a promise today. I’m sure that if the FP team puts in the engineering effort and start off with today’s state-of-the-art core components (SoC, DRAM, storage), they can release a Fairphone 3 (or a Fairphone 2.1, or Fairphone XP, or whatever the name really) that will again be ready for the next 5 years ahead.
although it’s good to hear that Fairphone 2 has sold out, this news release als leaves me a bit ‘in the dark’ as customer.
I’m still using Fairphone 1, but it is nearing the end with apps not being able to update anymore and spareparts no longer available.
If my current phone really needs to be replaced (any time now), I would like a new Fairphone which will last me five years or more. The message does not give me any clue about the timeframe of ‘next steps in product development’.
Also, I don’t feel like buying one of the last Fairphones 2, as product support is now only suggested for three more years (okay, better than others, but still… for Fairphone 1 it was also discontinued rather abruptly and unexpectedly)
What do you suggest? Should I start looking for an alternative somewhat-ethical phone?
With the update to android-kitkat-4-4-4 you can still use the FP1 with lots of apps.
Fairphone is still selling some spare parts brand new.
As a Fairphone angel myself I have all the spare parts (not new, but secondhard) of a FP1 for repairing a broken FP1 , except of the battery. And I am not the only Angel who has spare parts.
So there no need to look for an alternative.
I trust that Fairphone 3 will be coming before the end of this year.
I would also suggest updating to Android 4.4.4 like mention in the post above. For spare parts, the most fragile part is the battery. There exists a generic battery mentioned here: 🇬🇧 🇩🇪 Generic battery to replace FP1 battery (⚠️see first post for warning)
For other spare parts I would reach out to the forum/angels if needed
Yes, with the current technology changes, however sensible they may be, this is best to impossible, IMHO. Chips aren’t produced with that time horizon, and software is not better. The major handset provider offer a new model every year… In that light, offering one for 4-5 years is a tough deed, and as we could see in many discussions, is also not always understood…
Maybe because the core (module) which mainly keeps the handset future proof is (yet) a part that does not advance over time since it has the biggest environmental impact not being modular. If this could be done different also keeping modularity in focus the entire handset could serve for much longer.
Anyway with the FP2 as my first ever smart phone I have made quite a satisfying experience and never regreted my decision. But to mention, I did not upgrade to Android 7. So I am staying tuned what’s next on their schedule.
It looks positive for me purchasing another product from FP.
I will not buy such an old phone. I am trying to keep my 3 year old phone running while waiting for the new Fairphone 3. I hope all this waiting is worth it because I almost bought a phone 6 months ago.
Exactly. I was very much hoping that the “next” FP would be a FP2 with a new core module, so that I would be able to keep all the other parts. Additionally, the fact that the core module is not advanced appears to be the most common reason against buying a FP. Therefore, I think designing a FP such that the core module can be upgraded would be the most logical step for the future.
Surely there is a not so small group being perfectly fine with what the FP2 is for years and years to come. I am rather doubtfull, if it comes to ‘new technology’-promises. For 95% of phone users, 5G will make no difference to its predecessor. If you look what Apple et al produce now, you will see: no real progress, not really more value than what we already have.
Must say this seems like the right time for this - over 3 years on & it feels like mine is limping along with the workload rhat Android & apps place on it, I did keep my previous iPhone4 for 4 years but that was even slower! But less glitvhy it has to be said…but definitely proud to have been part of the FP2 process & will definitely consider a FP3 when it arrives. Just being able to replace the battery after 18m or so makes the whole thing justified on that basis alone imo!
Allow me to clarify my earlier point. 5G as a technology on itself may or may not interest the user. I agree that swaths of users at this point don’t care about their mobile internet speed, as the status quo with 4G allows them to use their phone in any way they desire. However, as a side-effect of carriers upgrading their network to 5G, existing service for 3G and 4G will gradually get worse at the detriment of current-generation phones like the Fairphone 2.
Here’s why: let’s simply assume that every network cell your phone can connect to amounts to better coverage. A 4G phone like the Fairphone 2 can connect to most (but not all) 3G and 4G cells used in Europe. This means today you can get a fairly good signal anywhere using the FP2. In the coming years however, carriers are gradually going to replace these 3G and 4G cells with 5G cells. Where currently most cells/sites share a 3G and 4G antenna, they’ll probably start sharing a 4G/5G antenna in the future. Let’s for the sake of argument assume that they’ll replace a 3G antenna with a 5G one on the same frequency, and leave the 4G ones in tact. This means that once the upgrade to 5G is complete, the FP2 can no longer connect to 99% of all the cells, but rather only connect to the half of the available cells offering 4G. Now, whenever an area is covered by a 5G antenna but not 4G, Fairphone 2 simply can’t use the network.
Of course the full story is more complex. Carriers have limited frequency bands to use all their signals in, and different frequencies have different bandwidth/coverage trade-offs. 5G requires higher frequencies for full bandwidth potential, meaning you need more cells for full coverage when compared to 3G or 4G. However, to meet radiation emission requirements and to limit the carriers power bill and maintenance cost, existing 3G/4G cells will still most likely have to be shut down as 5G adoption picks up. 5G upgrades and 3G/4G dismantling will happen gradually as users switch to newer phones. FP2 only supports a selection of frequencies on 4G (but for instance not band 1 and 38, which are already being used by European carriers), and providers might be forced to concentrate their current 4G signals into these bands during transition - worsening the FP2 experience further.
THANKS Fairphone !
My FP2 is about to be 3yo…working fine !
(just struggling with battery life…but usually a full cleaning/formatting and switch to lineageOS makes it better.)
I trust FP to design a great FP3 at a right price. Specs are not so important nowadays as most of midrange smartphone are already “overkill” for 99% usage. just try to make it a bit thinner and lighter, please…FP2 is kind of a brick
I will definitely not complain about duration of their product. I really have the feeling that FP is trying is best in an industrial world that don’t give a shit about long lasting design, fair materials and better working condition. What FP already achieve is remarkable
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