Fairphone has introduced its commercial repairable smartphone, almost two years after introducing the last upgrade. The brand new Fairphone 6 is smaller and 9 % lighter than its predecessor, but it surely features a bigger 4,415mAh battery — simply replaceable by eradicating simply seven screws — that may energy the telephone for as much as 53 hours on a full cost. It’s additionally extra modular than earlier variations, with new equipment like a card holder and finger loop that may be connected to the again of the telephone.
The Fairphone 6 is out there now by the company’s online store and different European retailers for €599 (round $696). There are black, inexperienced, and white colour choices. However as with earlier variations courting again to the Fairphone 3, the brand new mannequin will solely be accessible within the US by Murena, and supply is predicted someday in August. As a substitute of working commonplace Android, the Murena model of the Fairphone 6 will characteristic a privacy-focused and de-Googled version of Android that the company calls /e/OS. It’s accessible for preorder now for $899.
The Fairphone 6 has a Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 cellular processor, 8GB of RAM, and 512GB of storage that’s expandable as much as 2TB utilizing an SDXC card. It additionally encompasses a 6.31-inch LTPO OLED show that’s barely smaller than the Fairphone 5’s 6.46-inch display screen, however with a refresh charge boosted from 90Hz to 120Hz.
On the again, you’ll discover a 50MP principal digicam and a 13MP ultrawide digicam, whereas the entrance has a 32MP hole-punch digicam for selfies and video calls. That’s a big step down from the Fairphone 5, which used 50MP sensors on all three of its cameras.
The Fairphone 6’s bodily design is much like the earlier mannequin, though the lenses on the again are now not situated on a small digicam bump and as a substitute sit immediately on the again panel. That panel is extra modular now, permitting the decrease part to be eliminated utilizing simply two screws and changed with options that add extra performance, like a pockets for holding playing cards or a finger loop for extra securely holding the telephone with one hand. The thought is much like the swappable equipment Nothing provides for its CMF Phone 1 and Phone Pro 2, however how helpful it’s going to really be is determined by what number of equipment Fairphone makes accessible.
Repairability remains to be a precedence for Fairphone, and its new telephone carries ahead the identical modular design of previous variations. The modular facet allows you to entry and swap 12 completely different components — together with the display screen, battery, and USB port — utilizing only a single commonplace screwdriver as a substitute of specialised instruments.
To additional lengthen the Fairphone 6’s lifespan, the corporate features a five-year guarantee and guarantees eight years of software program help by 2033. However the draw back to not having every part contained in the telephone being glued in place and sealed tight is that the Fairphone 6 nonetheless has a restricted IP55 score for mud and water resistance. It will probably get splashed and even blasted with a jet of water, but it surely gained’t survive an unintended submersion.
Apart from efficiency enhancements and the brand new modular equipment, Fairphone appears to be staying the course with its commercial smartphone, however it’s introducing one extra new characteristic on the software program facet: Fairphone Moments. Activated by a bodily change on the telephone’s facet, it’s going to allow you to “toggle between a full-featured smartphone and a minimalist expertise.”
We don’t know precisely what Fairphone Moments will probably be minimizing, however for the reason that firm describes it as being “a conscious option to have interaction with expertise, placing house owners in management, not their notifications,“ it feels like an alternate mode that reduces distractions so you’ll be able to concentrate on particular duties.