The Fairphone 4 has moved on to the Snapdragon 750G SoC (and, thus, also to 5G) in 2021; however, it remains as focused on sustainability as its predecessors. Now, it has also joined them on iFixit, as well as on JerryRigEverything, in order to showcase its potential for durability.
The new videos both started off by putting the 4's ultra-rare removable back panel to use. The presenters in either case also demonstrated that even without it, the latest Fairphone is also much more amenable to a teardown than the average modern smartphone; on the other hand, a screwdriver is definitely still required.
Once one has been used to loosen all the screws found in its backplate, the Fairphone 4 reveals that many of its components, from its cameras to its display, are modular. Even its battery matches these easily replaceable parts, being designed with an extra plastic housing that serves to make it fit better around other modules and to protect and preserve it during or after removal.
The Fairphone 4 then proceeded to hold up to the rest of the classic JerryRigEverything tests of toughness just as well as the last passing smartphone, from the Mohs tests of display hardness to the bend test. It also attained an iFixit score of 10/10 for repairability. All in all, it seems this 2021 phone might well last a user the maximal 5-year duration of its manufacturer's warranty.