Fairphone is a Dutch company born in 2013. It specializes in the design of smartphones that respect ecology and work ethics, in any case, more respectful than the competition in these two areas.
In May 2013, it launched its first smartphone, the Fairphone 1. The latter was intended to be easily repairable, with spare parts available for sale online. He also used materials taken from conflict-free areas.
In 2015, the Fairphone 2 took over. It improved various features of its predecessor, including greater modularity, a sleeker design and even more components using fairly produced materials. However, the Fairphone 1 and 2 have always displayed major flaws, including low battery life and low power compared to the competition.
The new Fairphone 3 therefore hopes to erase the black spots of its ancestors, to have a better chance of appealing beyond informed environmentalists.
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The Fairphone 3 technical sheet
The Fairphone 3 is equipped with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 632 processor clocked at 2.2 GHz. This is accompanied by an Andreno 506 graphics chip. Otherwise, the eco-responsible smartphone includes 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB storage. A microSD port allows you to increase the storage capacity up to 200 GB. Classic, in fact.
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The Fairphone 3 is modern, with a fingerprint sensor on the back, but also facial recognition capability for the front camera, as well as 4G, Bluetooth 5 and NFC compatibility. Dual-SIM is even included, as well as fast charging via USB-C port. 20 hours of autonomy are announced, supported by a 3060 mAh battery.
In terms of photos, the Fairphone 3 offers an 8-megapixel front sensor and a 12-megapixel rear sensor. This is a Sony IMX363 module (the same as on the Google Pixels 3 and 3A camera).
The diagonal of its LCD screen is 5.65 inches, for a resolution of 2160 x 1080 pixels.
Regarding the design, we have the impression of seeing a slightly larger iPhone SE with two black bands at the top and bottom of the front. The size is similar to the Galaxy S10. Its weight is 189 grams and its thickness reaches almost 10 mm.
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The Fairphone 3 supports Android 9, the “Pie” version of the Google system released in 2018. The manufacturer also promises support for Android 10 in 2020.
To repair yourself
The Fairphone 3 is announced to be extremely easy to repair, thanks to its modular design. It also comes with a screwdriver. The user then has easy access to the different components, battery, camera, screen, etc.
Spare parts can be purchasedon the official Fairphone website. Here is some example of pricing:
- camera: 49.95 euros
- screen: 89.95 euros
- battery: 29.95 euros
- rear shell: 24.95 euros
Note that Fairphone guarantees to supply parts for the Fairphone 3 for 5 years, until 2024. In addition, certain parts may experience improvements over time. A new, more efficient photo module could, for example, replace the one fitted to the current Fairphone 3.
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Ecological and ethical
The Fairphone 3 is designed with recycled and fairly produced materials. In this sense, the company controls from the source whether the work is done while respecting human rights, but also the environment. Significant emphasis is then placed on recycling, worker well-being and waste reduction, among others.
However, this actually only concerns a small part of the components of the Fairphone 3, based on eight materials: gold, cobalt, tungsten, lithium, neodymium, copper, plastic, tin. A majority of the device's parts are therefore similar to those found in competing smartphones. However, according to Fairphone, focusing on the production of these eight materials already underpins great ecological and ethical improvements.
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First tests: pleasant surprise or new disappointment?
Journalists have already been able to get their hands on the Farphone 3, asNicolas Six from the newspaper Le Monde. According to him, the Fairphone 3 fails in terms of photography. The Huawei Mate 20 Smartphone would do much better at the same price.
In addition, he criticizes the fact that the processor, an important part of a smartphone, cannot be replaced. And then its price, given the same performance of certain competing smartphones, is logically higher.
Concerning the positive points, let us note an appreciable ease of repair, satisfactory power and of course, the possibility of enjoying a durable smartphone over time.
Regardless, the Fairphone 3 seems to be a good smartphone, with sufficient capabilities for the majority of users. Unfortunately, faced with very aggressive competitors on prices, it will have difficulty establishing itself simply on the basis of its technical characteristics alone. It is also advertised with a price of450 euros, for first deliveries in mid-September.
Obviously, using recycled or fairly sourced materials inevitably increases the price of the machine. It's up to everyone to think about whether such a responsible smartphone deserves the price and average performance.
The Fairphone 3 can be pre-ordered atthe official Fairphone store.
