Fairphone 5 launched with the promise of 8 years of software updates

Fairphone – the brand known for offering highly repairable and sustainable products with long-term software support commitments, has just announced its latest smartphone. Like its predecessors, the Fairphone 5 comes with relatively middle-of-the-line hardware, but offers a ton of features that could make it an attractive proposition for the environmentally conscious. To start off, the device is said to be made out of 70 percent fairly-sourced and recycled materials, and is built by workers who the company claims are paid a “living wage.” According to the official Fariphone 5 listing page, the device comes with more than 70 percent “fair focus or recycled materials,” including fairly-procured minerals.

The Fairphone 5 features a 6.46-inch FullHD+ (2700 x 1224) 90Hz OLED display with 880 nits of peak brightness. It is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 5, and is fully laminated with an oleophobic coating. The device is powered by Qualcomm’s QCM 6490 SoC that includes a 2.7GHz octa-core CPU and the Adreno 642L GPU. For those wondering, it is an industrial IoT processor that Fairphone chose because it comes with longer software support than the Snapdragon-branded consumer SoCs. Other hardware specs include 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage that can be expanded by up to 2TB with a microSD card. The device sports a 4,200mAh battery (with 30W fast charging support) that Fairphone claims can offer up to a full day of usage on a single charge.

Imaging options include a dual-camera setup at the back, led by a 50MP Sony IMX 800 main sensor with OIS+EIS. In addition, there’s a 50MP SONY IMX 858 ultra-wide shooter with EIS and a 117 degree field of view. The device supports 4K video recording at up to 30 fps and 1080p video at up to 60 fps. On the front, the Fairphone 5 has a 50MP Samsung JN1 image sensor in a punch-hole housing. Connectivity options include Wi-Fi 6E, NFC, sub-6 GHz 5G, Bluetooth 5.2, and GPS. The device comes with dual-SIM support, including one physical SIM and one eSIM. It also has a USB-C port for charging, and is IP 55 rated that denotes resistance to dust and water.

The biggest selling point of the Fairphone 5, however, is its astonishing software support of at least 8 years. That includes at least 5 years of confirmed Android updates and an additional 3 years of security patches. The company further claims that it will try to extend the update timeline to 10 years (until 2033), depending on hardware support. As part of the sustainability theme, the Fairphone 5 is also easier to repair than other modern smartphones, with the company claiming that all you need to take it apart is a Phillips head screwdriver.

Fairphone is also emphasizing on the modularity of the device, which has ten modules that the company says can be replaced by users themselves, without needing to go to a repair shop. The OLED display assembly, the rear and front cameras, the USB port, and the battery are just some of the available modules, and all of them can be ordered directly from Fairphone or its retail partners. The Fairphone is available for pre-order from today, with shipping slated to begin September 14. Prices start at €699 (around $764) in the eurozone and £619 (around $787) in the U.K. There’s no immediate plans for a U.S. launch, but that can change in the future, given that the Fairphone 4 is currently available for purchase in the country.