We wanted to give you an update on Android 14 for Fairphone 3. After extensive research, we have made the difficult decision not to upgrade the Fairphone 3 to Android 14. The legacy Linux kernel (4.9) used in the Fairphone 3 poses significant challenges for the upgrade. It currently offers limited support for Android 13, and would not support Android 14 at all.
We invested considerable time and resources into exploring ways to integrate the new Android system with the existing kernel, and even contemplated upgrading the Linux kernel itself. We also engaged in discussions with Google Android Engineering. Ultimately, we concluded that these options were too complex to implement and did not offer a reliable solution for our customers. Additionally, since software support for the Fairphone 3’s chipset was discontinued in June 2021, pursuing this project would present a high risk to our Fairphone 3 users.
Our primary goal remains to maintain secure and reliable functionality for the Fairphone 3 for as long as possible. The Fairphone 3, launched in 2019 with Android 9, has since received three Android upgrades, excluding Android 12. The standard end of life for Android 13 is set for 2025. In line with our commitment to device longevity, we’ve added one more year of security maintenance, extending it to 2026. This will provide a total of seven years of software support for the Fairphone 3, a commitment we are dedicated to fulfilling.
Thx for letting us know.
That means, I will not be able to use the phone for as long as I hoped. But well, longer that most (but not all) competitors phones.
Are there plans to improve the situation for FP4, 5 or later phones?
Although the reasons for this decisions are all logical and easily understandable, as always, it is not the first time, that you promise or kind of advertise features or upgrades, that you can’t fulfill.
It started with the update to Android 4.4 on the Fairphone 1, that never came.
I really support the idea of Fairphone, and try to explain everything to the people here in the Forum, but sometimes you are really making it hard to stay faithful.
This is now hard to believe. You might tell us next year, that this is unfortunately not possible.
My post was about the time, not whether it will come at all.
Anyway, I still stay to my feelings. It’s another drop that fills the barrel or a straw that brings the camels neck nearer to the brink of breaking.
Ahh, downstream kernels strike again. Having identified that problem back in 2017 (and @z3ntu then continuing to prove that it’s in fact possible to boot an upstream kernel on the FP2!), has Fairphone since taken a position on topics of upstream kernel support and/or minimising the downstream changes required on top of a forked LTS kernel to easily rebase against newer LTS kernels? Seems to me like this is a big missing piece in the puzzle for longevity without compromising security.
And which other OEM with Android provides upgrades and updates for 7 years? Maybe Google for Pixel however beside that… What developer can do their freetime not needing Google Certification is a different story…
Not sure if this is in reply to Lars or to me, but in case of the latter: Fairphone did continue to hire @z3ntu , as this is @lucaweiss . Provided he’s still around it seems to me like you have the skills in-house. I appreciate that upstream support should be largely Qualcomm’s responsibility and it’s not a one-man job, but as a company Fairphone can take a stance.
At risk of digressing: every time I go through the menus of my FP4 to get to the various check-for-updates settings, I gasp in disappointment at “kernel version 4.19.157”. Even the upstream LTS 4.19 branch is almost 200 releases ahead, backporting thousands of improvements and fixes to all sorts of issues.
Other vendors aren’t better, and you’re absolutely right that 7 years of software updates is pretty darn good, but seeing how the kernel version is now the quoted reason for the imminent end-of-life for this device, it seems to me like Fairphone has a choice of either throwing up its hands in powerlessness, or act in line with its DNA and try to change the industry for the better by pushing back on the idea that a non-rebasable downstream fork is somehow acceptable. If not now for the Fairphone 3, then definitely for future phones, because this downstream kernel development model is essentially planned obsolescense.
I know who z3ntu is still what Custom ROM can achieve is a different story e.g. due to Google Certification. There are so many bumps in the road we all dont know off in detail and I guess one would only understand completely once done the job in practice.
Btw due to 1 issue during the Google Cerification Process Shiftphones could not upgrade the Android Version and also during several months not provide updates on the old Android version…
Beside the fact Fairphone is a company and not doing things for fun, so always need to consider if the money you put into a project is worth the outcome.
Adding my broken record
I dont get this negativity thats presented in this topic…
I can’t not speak for others, but I hope you (and others) recognise that the discussion I’d like to have is based on technical merit, and not a predisposed attack on people, companies or even decisions. I ask for a clarification on FP’s stance on upstream kernels. The reason for asking is because there’s a demonstrable link between the current downstream development model that the ARM SoC vendors maintain and (planned) obsolescence. My intention with sparking such discussion is forward-looking, and although my tone of voice may have been frank, never did I intend to enter this discussion with a negative sentiment.
Assume this also applies to the FP3+ since they share the same SOC? That means only 2 major OS updates since it’s release, Android 11 & 13, not great for a phone that was considered expensive for the specs. Guess it will be my last Fairphone product.
For me, Fairphone (the company) ended support for the FP3 last year when they upgraded to Android 13. Fairphone are there to make money for their investors, it is what it is. Wonder if alternative OS providers will continue supporting the FP3?
Genau, und jetzt auf Englisch weiter…
And why is the kernel then the argument for no longer being able to offer an official A14? Then it’s more likely to be down to certification than the kernel. Especially since FPOS is able to cope with the upgrade without having to change to a newer kernel.
