Exactly. The main goal here is to replace any faulty component.
The rationale was that I/O devices (srcreen, microphone, speaker, charger port, etc.) were more likely to fail than the core module.
Now everything breaks. Wear and tear, sand intrusion, anything. The main question is when ? The core module will break down some day. It just statistically will do so (well) after any other part.
That doesn’t mean that “it will last forever”. It just means that if your phone is broken due to a minor part of the phone, you can replace it and have more time with it (up until the core breaks and it becomes expensive) before purchasing a new phone.
A note on the upgrade : the upgrade to a better component that fits (hardware-wise AND software-wise) is certainly a big bonus but it was never a given.
Now FP isn’t just about modularity. It’s responsible sourcing in an increasing number of minerals and metals, better working conditions for the manufacturer so they can be real human beings, and a whole mindset for managing waste differently.
Now you can have a (assuming that the core is the only problem here) healthy phone (flagship of 2014, 5 years ago) for 225€. Of course it’s expensive when you look at it that way. But the core was maybe built two months ago, because they continued manufacturing it (with refined processes and expertise). And considering that the phone is still sold for around 500€, it would make it worthwile. Imagine someone saying “I have this phone that I would repair for 225€, or I could buy the same but new, for 500€”, what would you say to them (considering the ethical, environmental, etc. issues)?
That said, the life of the FP2 is clearly coming to an end. Even if it still has some sensible, or robust qualities, the lifespan expected of it is, for the firsts, past.
TL/DR : The FP doesn’t mean to last forever. It doesn’t mean to be upgradable on a whim. The modularity just meant to replace faulty component to reduce the device turnover and waste production.
I’m sorry if you thought otherwise, or were led to believe otherwise, or even were hyped up so much. If you wanted to have a mega-chad phone of which you can change the SoC because the current one doesn’t support Asphalt 26, that’s too bad because even Google threw in the towel.
If you want a phone that’s just unkillable (why would anyone want that?) just, i don’t know, make one outside of the material plane.
Sustainability is of course more than just longevity: use of recycled materials, minimising waste in the production process, use of fair materials that supports miners and their families rather than destroys their lives, minimising the impact of repairs.
). Come to think of it, the only “modules” they haven’t upgraded are the core module, which I explained wouldn’t have been upgradeable, and the bottom module.