Sustainable tech leader Fairphone unveiled its latest modular device on Thursday at an event in Amsterdam, presenting a clear challenge to mainstream phone makers everywhere. The Fairphone 6 is a fully repairable Android phone built to last, which the company says has the lowest carbon footprint of any device its made yet.
Fairphone is a phone maker like no other. Rather than being yet another tech company making yet another generic Android phone, Fairphone is a value-focused Dutch social enterprise, which sources materials ethically, pays fair-wage bonuses to its workers across the supply chain in factories where they’re protected from harmful chemicals and given a voice to enact change. It also actively encourages people who buy a Fairphone to seek out replacement parts rather than throwaway their devices and upgrade on a regular basis.
While this is technically the Fairphone 6, the company wants it to be known as just the Fairphone — the thinking being that you shouldn’t need to upgrade your phone every few years to the next generation of devices. With this device, Fairphone promises seven Android updates with software and repairable parts support lasting until 2033.
Fairphone’s previous phone, the Fairphone 5 scored 7/10 in our review, but also worth paying attention to is the 10/10 teardown score given to the phone by iFixit. iFixit is a leader in providing the tools and knowledge for people to repair their electronics, and has been at the forefront of pushing right-to-repair legislation.
The Fairphone is entirely modular, with replaceable elements that make it both easy to fix and more fun. As well as being able to replace the battery, screen, camera, ports and other elements of the phone, you can click off the rear cover to attach alternatives with accessories, such as a carry cord or a card holder.
A lime green switch on the side of the phone allows you to toggle between the standard Android 15 interface, complete with all the Google Gemini AI features you might expect, and a pared-back monochrome “essentials” interface that offers access to core fuctions, including calling, messaging and web browsing.
Our biggest criticisms of the Fairphone 5 were the poor battery life and camera performance. According to Fairphone, its new device packs a bigger battery that can last 53 hours, along with an AI-enhanced 50-megapixel camera. We’re hoping that these live up to their promise, which will be crucial to truly future proof this phone as the rest of the industry sticks to its annual upgrade cycle.
The chip inside is the Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 from Qualcomm, which also provides the chips for all of the best Android phones on the market. The performance of this chip will also help determine the longevity of the phone.
The Fairphone 6 will be available for £499 ($680) from YourCoop and AO in the UK and will be available through Murena in the US.
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