The modular Fairphone 2 gets updated... to Android 7.1 Nougat

The Fairphone 2, the modular smartphone made from materials sourced from conflict-free areas, is getting new life breathed into it. But that breath is still pretty stale.

Fairphone announced today that Android 7.1 Nougat is finally available for the Fairphone 2. The update brings features that other Android users have enjoyed for two years, including split-screen apps, bundled notifications, and in-notification replies. The update should also improve system performance and stability and grant the Fairphone 2 better battery life.

Despite being a little over two years old, Android Nougat is still the most widely-used version of the OS with about 29.3% market share. Still, the fact that this is a new update that is just now coming to the Fairphone 2 is (sadly) very telling of Fairphone’s problems with support. Last summer, Fairphone announced that it would stop support for its first device, the eponymous Fairphone. The device was 4 years old at that point and will forever be stuck on Android 4.4 KitKat.

The Fairphone 2, on the other hand, was released in 2015, making 2018 its third year of life. If history is any indication, the aging handset may not be much longer for this world.

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