Fairphone 2
The Fairphone 2 is a touchscreen-based, dual-SIM smartphone designed to be easily repaired by the user. First released in October 2015, it was the first modular smartphone available for purchase and has since received both hardware improvements and major software updates, initially shipping with Android 5 "Lollipop" and running Android 10 as of November 2022. Production ceased in 2018.
It was the second phone from the social enterprise Fairphone and the first one completely designed by them. The phone was ethically sourced, using conflict-free minerals, Fair trade gold and recycled materials. It was assembled in audited factories with good working conditions.
Design
Hardware choices
The phone was designed to have a higher life expectancy than other phones.An important challenge with the Fairphone 1 was a system on a chip Mediatek MT6589 that was not widely used and thus did not receive long-term software support from its manufacturer. For the Fairphone 2, Fairphone chose the widely used Snapdragon 801 platform ; hoping to maintain longer term support.
Fairphone deliberately did not include recent innovations like wireless charging or USB-C ports, intending for this to lead to lower prices and maintenance. However, the phone's modular design allows the modules to be changed with updated components. Newer versions of the modular design contain cameras.
The back of the Fairphone 2 was equipped with a USB pin-out and charging input, allowing aftermarket back covers with extended capabilities.
Ethical considerations
The phone was designed to have a lower environmental impact than comparable mass-market smartphones, with an expected lifespan of five years. The modular design allows components to be replaced individually.Many electronic devices contain conflict minerals from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, used by armies and rebel groups to fund war in the country. Therefore, some manufacturers avoid all materials from the DRC, which reduces employment opportunities in the country. The Fairphone 2 supply chain was audited to ensure that these materials come from mines that do not fund armed groups while supporting local communities in the DRC to provide an alternative to conflict mines. The tantalum and tin ores are sourced from conflict-free mines in the DRC, the tungsten was from Rwanda, and the gold was from a Fairtrade certified mine in Peru. In addition, the phone includes recycled plastic, copper, and tungsten.
Hi-P assembled the Fairphone 2 in Suzhou, China, in a factory that has been audited to ensure that it meets high standards for working conditions and for the environment.
Modular design
The Fairphone 2 was the first modular smartphone available to the general public. The modular, repairable design was designed to increase longevity, with an additional focus on increasing the product's recyclability. The phone components are designed to be replaceable, with the end user only needing to use a screwdriver to replace components of the phone. In addition, it was possible to replace individual components within each module.The phone received a 10 out of 10 score for smartphone repairability from iFixit, the first phone to receive the score.
The phone consists of seven removable parts: the main chassis, the battery, the display assembly, the rear camera module, the top module, the bottom module, and the back protective cover. Except for an updated slim case design, the first module set to be upgraded the cameras, with a new rear camera module and top module in September 2017.
Software
| Date | Event | Comment |
| Sailfish OS port underway | With input from Fairphone developers. | |
| Launch. Android 5.1 “Lollipop” | Two variants of Android are available – the default Android installation, which includes Google Mobile Services, and the Fairphone open-source OS, which does not include GMS, but can easily be rooted. Unlike most Android manufacturers, Fairphone was committed to regularly releasing security patches and other updates. | |
| Android 6.0 “Marshmallow” | Free for all customers. | |
| Ubuntu Touch port | - | |
| LineageOS 14.1 community release | First time an Android 7.1 “Nougat”-based operating system runs on the phone. | |
| Android 7.0 “Nougat” official update | First and so far only phone running on Snapdragon 801 to have this upgrade. | |
| Android 9.0 “Pie” beta | Fairphone in cooperation with the LineageOS team. Making it so far the only phone running on Snapdragon 801 to have an Android 9.0 “Pie” update | |
| Android 9.0 “Pie” stable | ||
| Nov 2021 | Android 10 release | |
| Mar 2023 | Android 10 update | Final Fairphone 2 software update for Android 10 |
Costs
The phone was primarily funded through pre-orders and was mostly sold directly, though in some markets the phone was available through resellers such as The Phone Co-op in the UK. The pre-order campaign started on 16 July 2015 and ended on 30 September 2015, with 17,418 phones pre-ordered.Just as they did for the Fairphone 1, Fairphone released details about costs for the Fairphone 2, which sold for an average price of €525. Despite its relatively high price compared to many phones, the margin on each phone sold was only €9, principally due to low sales volume and higher manufacturing costs than most phones. The price also funded a wide range of Fairphone's goals to make the phone more ethical, including recycling programs and partnerships for reduced usage of "blood minerals".