The Fairphone 6 is a smartphone that stands out for its approach to sustainability. It is made from 50% recycled materials, is produced under fair conditions, and has a fully modular design, making it easy to replace parts. iFixit has given it the highest rating for repairability. The manufacturer also guarantees eight years of updates and a warranty of up to five years, significantly extending the lifespan of the device.
A total of twelve components of the smartphone can be repaired or replaced by the user. These include the display and battery, as well as the cameras, USB port, and speakers. Fairphone provides instructions for this, and since nothing in the smartphone is glued together, this should not be a major problem for less experienced users.
Technically, the Fairphone 6 offers solid features, including a Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 processor, 8 GB of RAM, expandable storage and an easy-to-use OLED display. Battery life and charging speed are also impressive. Limitations include camera quality, a lack of dust and water resistance, and a slow USB 2.0 port.
The colorful switch on the side is a slider switch preset to turn Fairphone Moments on or off. This is designed to minimize smartphone distractions, reducing not only notifications but also the home screen. Alternatively, it can also be assigned other functions.
Priced at €599, the Fairphone 6 is aimed primarily at users who value fairness, durability, and environmental friendliness and are willing to accept compromises on high-end features.