Software and security updates- made to last?

I have started becoming interested in buying more sustainable tech. However, something that really bothers me when it comes to environmentalists writing about green tech is that they seem to completely ignore the software side of things. “Hey buy more second hand tech, keep your phone for longer”. But how can I buy old tech when it is not updated anymore?

I am really considering buying a fair phone but my issue is precisely with software. If the fairphone doesn’t receive software and security updates for more than 3/4 years then I would have to switch out the phone anyways. And with the latest one being released in 2019 I feel like I am being forced to wait until Fairphone releases a newer model. You’re doing some really inspiring work Fairphone. Just wish there was more discussion around software as this is just big of a part the buy and throw away culture of technology today as hardware.

HI @sustainup Welcome to the forum…

The Fairphone 2 has just recently been updated to Android 9, can you find any other 6 year old phone that compares?

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Hi @anon9989719 thanks a ton!

That is true but Google has since released both android 10 and 11. Compare that to an Iphone 6s which was released in 2015 and is still going to be updated to the latest ios 15 (with faster updates than an android phone can be ever provide). I am not trying to criticise fairphone in any way and I get that the manufuctaturing of an iphone is a lot more harmful to the environment. But if I can keep an iphone for 6 years with all the latest updates + a much better camera (meaning I dont have to buy a separate camera). Just need to some convincing that I would still be making a better choice going with a fairphone

No it’s not a better choice in the terms you have promoted, it’s choice of being more ethical or not. Growing your own food is more ethical but most people choose not to do so, and most people buy a Samsung or Apple, neither of which you can grow.

So who do you pay, the Fairtrade miners getting your gold or not, do you pay Fair wages in the factory on not.

The choice is yours and it makes no real difference to the world at large. It is your ethics you are playing with.

Apart from whether the hardware can deal with any updates there’s also the cost.
Fairphone had to pass near 500,000 Google set tests before they could release Android 9, than takes resources of the money kind.

The less sales the less money, the less updates, so a comparison to Apple is hardly appropriate when speaking of a Fairphone.

You can install LineageOS 17.1 which is based on Android 10 on the FP2 but you don’t need the last version of Android to get security updates…

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Difference is that with a Apple outdated OS a pretty big problem.is and with Android no one cares unless you have Android 5 or lower. So i would say that you get better software support with fairphone compared with Iphones
And of course custom.roms are possible.

The Fairphone 3 will be get way better support for custom.roms by the way, because of projext treble. Thats pretty insame

Because nobody cares about security issues on an outdated Android phone, this is a better software support? Very weird point of view in my opinion.
Even if Apps are still running, a security breach must not be ignored.

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A older version of android isnt surely insecure. Google still support android 7 realted to security so I dont agree with that point

That‘s not correcct, Android 7 is out of support since nearly two years.

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Letzter Sicherheitspatch-Stand: Oktober 2019

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For the simplistic English reader

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