Back to the originating question:
I had since last x-mas my FP2 with LOS. This was rather slow, but still working. I didn’t buy another FP because of the size, I liked the small size of FP2.
But a friend offered me his old unused FP3 and since that I use it with /e/.
I guess my usage is similar to Paul_Rafferty1’s, but with /e/ I’m happy, it is much faster than FP2 with LOS18. /e/2.1 for FP3 actually is still based on Android 13.
I can strongly advice to use a custom rom in case of problems with FPOS. You only have to choose.
Upcoming /e/2.2 I didn’t use now, so I cannot prove, if it stays like this.
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I’ve used a FP3 for several years now, after having abandoned Apple because I could not have my iPhone SE serviced by Apple any more as I had replaced its battery myself.
I really like FairPhone’s modularity and fair trade policy.
And I’m still happy with the functioning of my FP3 (under Android 13), using it for browsing the Internet (including YouTube movies), navigation, following my cycling routes with Cyclemeter and Strava (I have an extra battery for long rides), using WhatsApp, Signal, Uber, internet banking, touchless paying, even taking photo’s during vacations (and posting them on PolarSteps).
It’s quite rugged, having survived several falls from my hands to a hard stony sidewalk, with a FairPhone protective case, but without screen protector. It’s a bit too large for my taste, but I don’t think I will have much more trouble with a model that would be 2.3% higher and 6.6% wider (I always use it with two hands), except that it’ll make my left pocket even more bulging than now; the weight is no issue for me. I really like its modular design and the possibility to do repairs (and changing the battery) myself.
If some software would become too sluggish for my taste I would first try an alternative OS before buying a new FairPhone.
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Well, Android isa trademark so if you want to call it tbat and run it on your device you must agree to Google’s terms. LOS does officially not include OpenGapps last time I checked. So it is very close to AOSP + LOS patches.
Without Android no open source version is wrong. It is exactly the other way around. Android depends on all kind of FOSS projects, including AOSP. No AOSP, no Android. Whereas AOSP exists without Android. Because you can use AOSP eithout OpenGapps perfectly fine. Which is what /e/ does, and a myriad of other projects e.g. LOS with microG or
It does not get more simple than mathematical equations:
Android = AOSP + Google proprietary software
Android - Google proprietary software = AOSP
Android - AOSP = Google proprietary software
That people misname it is for sake of simplicity or laziness.
What is true though: most people expect AOSP with Google proprietary software ie. Android. And then if they use microG or /e/ or HarmonyOS or Amazon or Samsung’s AOSP based variants or whatever else which isn’t officially Android, expectations are not met because it isn’t 100% Android.
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I fully agree: FP4+5 are, like many other phones today, to big.
And the hole in the screen is very anoying.
In terms of hole in screen. Its better than having it hidden behind the device’s screen. The difference is the quality of the picture quality. This is coming from a guy who used to be a Samsung Galaxy 20 FE daily driver a few years ago. I still may have this device and it can only capture about 1080p quality at best. Even if its a 4k camera. The screen sorta makes it pixelated at higher resolutions. Even though its nice not to see a big dot while watching content and all that. Its a great VR device for that reason alone. Then Samsung dropped SD Card support in future generations of that device. The more reason to have a Fairphone with multi-year support and updates. I’m at least keeping it for watching movies and tv for my phone VR device. PS. I recommend iplay VR Pro app for watching the content in VR. There is a free version of that app as well with ads witch can be annoying.
That being said, AOSP is funded by Google. We only have AOSP because Google allows us to.
The development is controlled by Google.
They often even release the major AOSP upgrade after Pixels get it with Android.
Saying that Android is AOSP + Google is a bit optimistic. It’s more like AOSP is Android with Google removed.
That’s to be expected, since AOSP is a fork of Google’s Android.
The big development driver is Google, they are the ones who create, update and modify Android, after which the new source code is made available to the Android Open Source Project (AOSP). Which explains why AOSP gets the new features after stock Android already had them…
You’re right, AOSP indeed is Android with the Googly bits removed. By design.
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The FP3 is as big as I want my phone to be, so it’s a no from me for the FP5 as well. Not only that, the FP3 is the last model which provides dual physical SIM slots (my minimum requirement). When the time comes to replace my FP3, I’ll probably get a cheap Moto that has SIM1+SIM2+SD+Headphone socket. Nobody seems to do a notification LED so that will be sorely missed so I’ll second your sad face.
I stuck to Android 11 because of the fingerprint sensor trust issue and don’t suffer the performance issues you reported with A13. There is a bit of lag compared to A9, but not enough to make me hate the device. Have you considered re-installing Android 11?
In one way I’m disappointed that (like you found) there is no suitable current Fairphone, on the other hand I have major trust issues with Fairphone (the company), so perhaps it’s for the best (for me).
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One of the big problems with going back to A11 is security…
For the dual SIM part, you can have 2 phone providers/numbers… You “just” need to convert one of your SIMs to an eSim… If one of your providers supports eSim !
You can put one physical SIM in the FP5 and one eSim. It’s written in the FP5 specs.
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Which will get progressively more and more easy: Everybody will eventually start offering eSIMs, if only for cost/profit reasons (they’re so much cheaper).
At some point physical SIMs will go the way of the Dodo, as soon as old phones not supporting them become rare enough. 
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@Andrea_hdea:
Well, I was basing this statement on the marketing blurb I could read on the website when I bought my FP4. It was all about “Fairness”, there was mention of increased repairability (and this is what convinced me to buy), but the editorial focus was on Fairness–back then.
I admit nowadays the marketing focus has shifted to “Green”. 
Maybe I should had said “was”?
True sustainability is (IMHO, YMMV) that a 2+ years old phone is treated just like this year’s flagship. Of course that’s just the theory, and how any company can translate this into their own commercial reality is a different question. Just avoid promising things you can’t deliver in the long term:
“Heav’n has no rage, like love to hatred turn’d,
Nor hell a fury, like a disappointed customer.”
.
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I was very hyped about a year ago to but a new phone and I wanted to get a Fairphone 5. On paper this sounded great and the hardware specifications are great, more than enough for me at least.
In this past year however my frustration levels have been rising and rising to the point that I’m getting a new phone much sooner than intended. I’ve never ever had this many issues with a phone, ever! I’m going to rant for a bit so bear with me.
The camera (app) is terrible: I like to take a picture or two but the speed with this phone and actually taking pictures… I don’t know what’s wrong but the app keeps crashing, freezing, not working, stuttering, takes blurry pictures and so many times it doesn’t even take the damn picture! The only advice given by the helpdesk: install another app! Yeah, great, but that doesn’t work either, I’ve tried and it still s*cks.
Bluetooth: I don’t know how and I don’t know why but it keeps connecting and disconnecting completely at random. I’ve not changed any settings on the phone (regular or developer options) that has to do with bluetooth. I’m not sure why it does this but it annoys the living **** out of me.
Updates: The last SIX updates didn’t install. Or at least not without me jumping thourgh hoops. Random cache cleaning on random apps, rebooting during the update process, that kinda thing. I might have high expectations but I expect when there is an update the phone actually installs the bloody update.
Battery: Maybe I’m the only one with this issue but if I don’t recharge my phone at least twice but mostly three times a day it will run out of battery. The battery is getting sucked dry, and no I’m not one with 100 apps open or even installed on my phone. I’ve used differenct diagnostic tools (build in and third party) but everything seems fine. It isn’t. And it’s not that I charge it at 60% neither, it’s out of juice completely. It annoys the hell out of me.
Fingerprint scanner works but it’s very flunky. At least 20% of the time I have to use my pin to get in the phone because it just won’t recognize my fingerprint. Stupidly enough, I unlock it, lock it again, fingerprint it and BAM done. Works just fine. It’s random and annoying.
I know, I’m complaining alot about the phone but the retailer where I bought it isn’t helpful, the support here is not helpful and afther almost a year of use I’m quite sure that the only thing they can do to resolve this issue is give me back my money. Not seeing that happening anytime soon. Did inform a couple of people who considered buying the FP5 and thankfully I got them to see reason and not buy it. I’m not one for hating, but this phone is just a **** product overall and I will never buy a Fairphone ever again.
So there you have it folks, a post complaing about how much this phone s*cks. Do with it what you will, I just had to vent.
Cheers
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I am sorry that you have had a frustrating experience with your phone and that you actively discouraged other potential buyers.
The thing is there are people with working FP5 without those issues. Someone on reddit suggested a failure of quality control, I am not so sure that might be a reason, rather unique settings combined with the provider and some glitches…
so
my FP5 takes pictures fast, nothing crashing (stock App); bluetooth connection is stable, I can easily switch beween devices without losing it, for example listening to music in my headset and switching at home to a BT speaker. All the updates installed instantly, on a day they were released. Fingerprint is reliable, works to unlock the phone and for all my apps. Sometimes I need to use the pattern when unlocking the phone and sometimes with wet fingers it does not work, but these are rare issues.
The only thing I have in common is the battery - i keep it between 20 and 80 and it does not last a day.
So I would suggest your phone behaviour is atypical and worth looking into before switching to another device.
Good luck
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Installed lineage and it fixed the issues you have outlined. There hasn’t been an android phone i owned that I abolished stock and installed it for total control of my device. Teracube 2e, lgv20 , s2,s3,s5 all have less or no issues when they are unlocked and rooted.
@CloudStrifeNL and all other displeased FP users
Remember, you can offer your phones here, i think there are many people that will take the phones here paying the postage rate 
.
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Being able to give it away is not a sufficient reason to buy a phone… 
You are right, but
means i am finished with the phone 
and forget it at the drawer is not the way a fairphone should end …
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Am I the only one who for anything except simple messaging or calls, plugs their phone into the computer and uses Vysor to have the screen mirrored on a computer display?
Not sure. KDE connect rules for me. No need for cables.
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