Android 16 arriving on Fairphone 6 with many new features

The Fairphone 6 shipped with Android 15 when it launched back in June 2025, despite Android 16 being available at that time. More than eight months later, Fairphone has confirmed via an Instagram Story that the device is finally set to receive its first major Android update “soon”.

An exact release date hasn’t been announced, but rollout is likely to begin within days or weeks. Although Fairphone is comparatively slow in delivering major Android updates, it still offers longer software support than most of its competitors. The Fairphone 6 is expected to get eight whole years of Android updates and security patches – until summer 2033. Combined with a highly repairable design (including an easily replaceable battery) and an official spare parts shop, this extended support is intended to give the Fairphone 6 its exceptional longevity.

Android 16 introduces a wide range of new features, particularly quality-of-life improvements. For instance, Live Updates let users track shipments in real time, Auto-grouping consolidates similar notifications to streamline organisation, and the volume and brightness sliders now include haptic feedback. Android 16 improves hearing aid support and strengthens security with an optional Identity Check mode, which requires biometric authentication to access a device.