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			{{Short description\|Dutch smartphone manufacturer}}
	{{advert\|date=January 2017}}
			{{Use dmy dates\|date=June 2017}}
	], with the back lid removed. ], ] slots and one SDHC card slot are visible.]]
			{{Use British English\|date=June 2017}}
			{{Infobox company
			\| name = Fairphone B.V.
			\| logo = Fairphone logo.svg
			\| type = ]
			\| industry = ]
			\| founded = {{Start date and age\|2013\|1}}
			\| key_people = {{Unbulleted list\|Bas van Abel (])\|Miquel Ballester Salvà (])\|Raymond van Eck (])}}
			\| hq_location_city = ]
			\| hq_location_country = Netherlands
			\| revenue = {{increase}} ]55 million (2023)
			\| area_served = Western and Central Europe except Malta and Cyprus
			\| products = ]
			\| website = {{Official URL}}
			}}
			'''Fairphone''' is a Dutch ] that designs and produces ]s and ]s. It aims to minimise the ethical and ] of its devices by using ], ] and ] materials, maintaining fair labor conditions throughout its workforce and suppliers, and enabling users to easily ] through ] and by providing replacement parts.<ref name=":0">{{cite journal \|last1=Haucke \|first1=Franziska Verena \|title=Smartphone-enabled social change: Evidence from the Fairphone case? \|journal=] \|date=2018 \|volume=197 \|pages=1719–1730 \|doi=10.1016/j.jclepro.2017.07.014\|s2cid=157498710 }}</ref>
			{{As of\|2024\|April}}, the company's most recent smartphone is the ], which it plans to provide with security updates and software support, including 5 OS updates, for 10 years.<ref>{{cite news \|last1=Gibbs \|first1=Samuel \|title=Fairphone 5 review: could this be the first phone to last 10 years? \|url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2023/sep/08/fairphone-5-review-could-this-be-the-first-phone-to-last-10-years \|work=The Guardian \|date=8 September 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web \|last1=Porter \|first1=Jon \|title=The Fairphone 5 is less about what comes in the box and more about what you get over the years \|url=https://www.theverge.com/23895548/fairphone-5-review-price-features \|website=The Verge \|language=en \|date=29 September 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine \|last1=Hill \|first1=Simon \|title=The Fairphone 5 Is a Smartphone for a More Ethical World \|url=https://www.wired.com/review/fairphone-5/ \|magazine=WIRED \|date=22 September 2023}}</ref>

			Fairphone has been dubbed the most ethical smartphone in the world, scoring 98 out of 100 possible points by the British magazine ].<ref>{{cite news\|title=Shopping guide: Mobile phone \|url=https://www.ethicalconsumer.org/sites/default/files/flipbook/Issue211Preview/10/#zoom=true \|date=25 October 2024 }}</ref>
	'''Fairphone''' is a ] company which aims to develop ]s that are designed and produced with minimal harm to people and the planet. The company is based in ], ] and was supported in its startup phase by the ], a foundation which aims to foster experimentation with new technologies, art and culture. The main motivations for founding Fairphone were to develop a mobile device that does not contain ] (which in smartphones are typically ], ], ] and ]), has fair labor conditions for the workforce along the supply chain producing it and help people to use their phone longer. The ] of the company's handset is one of the first ]s available for purchase, with the product being designed to be easily repaired and upgraded.

	== History ~~and mission~~ ==		== History ==
	] miners at the New Bugurama Mining Company in Rwanda.]]		] miners at the New Bugurama Mining Company in ]]]
	] ~~for~~ ~~conflict-free~~ ~~tungsten~~ in ~~the~~ ].]]		]
			Fairphone was founded by Bas van Abel, Tessa Wernink and Miquel Ballester<ref name="inte_Fair">{{Cite web \|title=Fairphone: Calling for Change \|author=Homerun.co \|date=27 January 2017 \|access-date=2 September 2019 \|url=https://interviews.artofwork.co/fairphone-calling-for-change-e4a54db6d90c \|archive-url=https://wayback.archive-it.org/all/20180922164512/https://interviews.artofwork.co/fairphone-calling-for-change-e4a54db6d90c?gi=c96e28927ae \|url-status=dead \|archive-date=22 September 2018 }}</ref> as a ] company in January 2013, having existed as a campaign for two and a half years.{{Citation needed\|date=September 2023}}
	Fairphone was founded as a social enterprise company in January 2013, having existed as a campaign for two and a half years. The company's website states that its mission is to "bring a fair smartphone to the market – one designed and produced with minimal harm to people and planet".<ref></ref> Fairphone, however, acknowledges that it will not be possible to produce a 100% fair phone yet, but with this aim it seeks to raise awareness among consumers and in the mobile phone industry.

			In April 2015 the company became a registered ].<ref>{{Cite web \|title=Fairphone - Certified B Corporation - B Lab Global \|url=https://www.bcorporation.net/en-us/find-a-b-corp/company/fairphone \|access-date=2022-09-13 \|website=www.bcorporation.net \|language=en-us}}</ref>
	{{quote\|''"It's about the idea and not about the phone."''\|Miquel Ballester (product strategy Fairphone)<ref>Miquel Ballester (product strategy Fairphone) in: ''The Utopia Gadget: "Fairphone is not a smartphone, but a social mission"'', motherboard.vice.com, 27 July '15 / in original (de): ''"Es geht um die Idee und nicht um das Telefon."'', in: '''', motherboard.vice.com, 27. Juli '15</ref>}}

			Since version two, the Fairphone is produced in ], China, by Hi-P International Limited.<ref>{{cite web\|url=https://www.fairphone.com/en/2015/02/19/the-path-to-finding-our-new-production-partner-hi-p/
	==Fairphone 1==
			\|title=The path to finding our new production partner: Hi-P
	{{Main article\|Fairphone 1}}
			\|last=Hebert
			\|first=Olivier
			\|date=19 February 2015
			\|access-date=18 January 2021}}</ref>

			In November 2021, the ] was made available.
	===2013: first production batch===
	* The project raised money for the initial batch of phones through pre-orders, reaching the required 5,000 on 5 June 2013.<ref>{{cite web\|last=Mier\|first=Joe\|title=5,000 Fairphones sold! Let’s start production!\|url=https://www.fairphone.com/2013/06/05/5000-fairphones-sold-lets-start-production/\|work=Fairphone Blog\|accessdate=5 June 2013}}</ref> It sold the entire initial production run of 25,000 handsets on 13 November 2013,<ref>{{cite web\|title=First Fairphone Sells Out\|url=http://www.computing.co.uk/ctg/news/2306775/first-fairphone-sells-out\|accessdate=29 November 2013}}</ref> nearly a month in advance of the revised mid-December release date.<ref>{{cite web\|title=Production Update: Delivery Timeline\|url=https://www.fairphone.com/2013/09/05/production-update-delivery-timeline/\|accessdate=29 November 2013}}</ref>

			As of February 2022, Fairphone had sold around 400,000 devices.<ref name="berlin">{{Cite news \|last=Schweiger \|first=Francesca \|date=22 February 2022 \|title=The mobile phones you can take apart and repair yourself \|website=BBC News \|location=Berlin \|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-60374806}}</ref>
	===2014: second production batch and partnerships===
	* ] announced in April 2014 a partnership with Fairphone, to offer owners self-repair guides.<ref>'''', iFixit e-mail of April 3, 2014 (web version)</ref>
	* A second production run of 35,000 phones was released for sale on 21 May 2014.<ref>{{cite web\|last1=Morgan\|first1=Pinder\|title=Fairphone – Ethics Meets Technology\|url=http://www.captees.com/19057-fairphone-ethics-meets-technology/\|website=Capital Technologies\|accessdate=9 September 2014}}</ref>
	* ] and Fairphone partnered in July 2014 to offer locally produced 3D printed cases.<ref>{{cite web\|last1=van de Weerd\|first1=Roos\|title=Launching Fairphone 3D-printed cases with 3D Hubs\|url=http://www.fairphone.com/2014/07/07/launching-fairphone-3d-printed-cases-with-3d-hubs/\|website=Fairphone\|accessdate=17 October 2014}}</ref>
	* In September 2014, ] announced itself to be the UK's sole stockist of Fairphone's second batch of handsets.<ref>{{cite news\|title=The Phone Co-op offers UK's first ethical smartphone\|url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/oct/15/the-phone-co-op-offers-uks-first-ethical-smartphone\|accessdate=20 October 2014\|work=]\|publisher=]\|date=15 October 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web\|last1=Ravenscroft\|first1=Fiona\|title=Fairphone: a review\|url=http://www.thephone.coop/about-us/blog/2014/september/fairphone-a-review/\|website=The Phone Co-op blog\|accessdate=9 September 2014}}</ref>

			In 2023 a consortium of impact investors led by new shareholders Invest-NL, the ABN AMRO Sustainable Impact Fund, and existing shareholder Quadia, with its Regenero Impact Fund, invested €49 million in Fairphone.<ref>{{cite web \|title=Impact investor consortium invests €49 million in Fairphone \|url=https://www.fairphone.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Impact-investor-consortium-invests-E49-million-in-Fairphone.pdf \|website=Fairphone \|access-date=30 August 2023}}</ref>
	==Fairphone 2==
	{{Main article\|Fairphone 2}}
	]

			{{clear}}
	===2015: development of the ]===

			== Products ==
	In February 2015, Fairphone announce its new production partner, ], after a selection process detailed on its blog.<ref>{{cite web\|url= http://www.fairphone.com/2015/02/19/the-path-to-finding-our-new-production-partner-hi-p/?utm_source=Fairphone&utm_campaign=f3cb18e830-Early_March_2015_General_Newsletter_3_5_2015&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_fc950fe855-f3cb18e830-58242237&mc_cid=f3cb18e830&mc_eid=23819d9747\|title=The path to finding our new production partner: Hi-P\|website=Fairphone Blog\|date=19 February 2015\|accessdate=6 March 2015}}</ref>
			{\| class="wikitable sortable"
	In June 2015, specifications <ref name="fp2_spec"></ref> and prices were published on Fairphone's official website. The Fairphone 2 started shipping in December 2015 and continued to be sold in 2016. In 2016 Fairphone announced a delay in deliveries of new order due to high demand from businesses.<ref>{{Cite news\|url=https://www.fairphone.com/en/2016/12/22/scaling-up-our-social-enterprise-challenges-and-more-widely-available/\|title=Scaling up our social enterprise - challenges and achievements - Fairphone\|date=2016-12-22\|newspaper=Fairphone\|language=en-US\|access-date=2017-01-10}}</ref> In January 2017 the date for the delivery of new Fairphone 2's was set at end of May 2017.
			\|+
			!rowspan=2\|Name
			!rowspan=2\|Release<br />date
			!rowspan=2\|]
			!colspan=3\|CPU
			!colspan=2\|GPU
			!rowspan=2\|Memory<br />(GB)
			!rowspan=2\|Storage<br />(GB)
			!colspan=2\|Display
			!colspan=2\|Camera
			!rowspan=2\|Initial<br />]
			!rowspan=2\|Battery<br />capacity<br />(])
			\|-
			!Type
			!Speed<br />(GHz)
			!Cores
			!Type
			!Speed<br />(MHz)
			!Size<br />(inches)
			!]
			!Rear
			!Front
			\|-
			\|]
			\|{{dts\|2013\|12\|abbr=on}}
			\|] MT6589
			\|]
			\|1.2
			\|4
			\|] ]
			\|286
			\|1
			\|16<br>+up to 64GB
			\|4.3
			\|256
			\|8MP
			\|1.3MP
			\|]
			\|2000
			\|-
			\|]
			\|{{dts\|2015\|12\|abbr=on}}
			\|] ]
			\|] 400
			\|2.26
			\|4
			\|] 330
			\|578
			\|2
			\|32<br>+up to 2TB
			\|5
			\|446
			\|12MP
			\|5MP
			\|]
			\|2420
			\|-
			\|]
			\|{{dts\|2019\|09\|abbr=on}}
			\| rowspan="2" \|] ]
			\| rowspan="2" \|]<br />Gold+Silver
			\| rowspan="2" \|1.8+1.8
			\| rowspan="2" \|4+4
			\| rowspan="2" \|] 506
			\| rowspan="2" \|600
			\| rowspan="2" \|4
			\| rowspan="2" \|64<br>+up to 2TB
			\| rowspan="2" \|5.65
			\| rowspan="2" \|427
			\|12MP
			\|8MP
			\|]
			\| rowspan="2" \|3060
			\|-
			\|]
			\|{{dts\|2020\|09\|abbr=on}}
			\|48MP (12MP output)
			\|16MP
			\|]
			\|-
			\|]
			\|{{dts\|2021\|09\|30\|format=dmy\|abbr=on}}
			\|] ]
			\|]<br />Gold+Silver
			\|2.2+1.8
			\|2+6
			\|] 619
			\|950
			\|6/8
			\|128/256<br>+up to 2TB
			\|6.3
			\|409
			\|48MP OIS,<br />48 MP Ultrawide,<br />(ToF + Color) sensor
			\|25MP
			\|]
			\|3905
			\|-
			\|]<ref>{{Cite web\|url=https://www.androidpolice.com/fairphone-5-announcement-sleekest-repairable-phone/\|title=The Fairphone 5 is here, and it's the sleekest repairable phone yet\|last=Vonau\|first=Manuel\|editor-last=Vonau\|editor-first=Manuel\|date=2023-08-30\|website=www.androidpolice.com\|location=Berlin, Germany\|accessdate=2023-08-30}}</ref>
			\|{{dts\|2023\|08\|30\|format=dmy\|abbr=on}}
			\|] QCM6490<ref>{{Citation\|url=https://www.qualcomm.com/content/dam/qcomm-martech/dm-assets/documents/qcs-qcm6490-soc-product-brief_87-28733-1-b.pdf\|title=Qualcomm® QCM6490/Qualcomm® QCS6490 SoCs\|date=2021\|accessdate=2023-08-30}}</ref>
			\|]<br>Prime+Gold+Silver
			\|2.7+2.4+1.9
			\|1+3+4
			\|] 643
			\|812
			\|8
			\|256<br>+up to 2TB
			\|6.46
			\|{{#expr:(1224^2+2700^2)^.5/6.46 round0}}
			\|50MP OIS,<br />50 MP Ultrawide,<br />(ToF + Color) sensor
			\|50MP
			\|]
			\|4200
			\|}

			==Social impact and competitors==
	== Awards & Certifications ==
			The phone is modular, which makes it easily repairable and customisable by the user, in keeping with ] principles. According to the company, increasing the lifespan of a phone by two years reduces ] by 30%.<ref name="berlin" />
	Fairphone won the award for fastest-growing European tech startup at The Next Web conference in April 2015.<ref>{{cite web\|last1=Van Wijhe\|first1=Jelle\|title=Tech5: Fairphone named Europe’s fastest-growing startup of 2015\|url=http://thenextweb.com/nextconference/2015/04/24/tech5-fairphone-named-europes-fastest-growing-startup-of-2015/\|website=The Next Web\|publisher=The Next Web\|accessdate=29 April 2015}}</ref> Other nominees included ] (Sweden), YPlan (UK), ] (France), PackLink (Spain), ] (Germany), and Festicket (UK).

			The gold and silver in ] has the Fairtrade label, also metals used are said to come from conflict-free mines.<ref>{{Cite news \|last=Gibbs \|first=Samuel \|date=2021-10-15 \|title=Fairphone 4 review: ethical repairable phone gets big upgrade \|language=en-GB \|work=The Guardian \|url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2021/oct/15/fairphone-4-review-ethical-repairable-phone-gets-big-upgrade \|access-date=2023-04-19 \|issn=0261-3077 \|quote=It includes fair trade gold and silver, ethically sourced aluminium and tungsten, plus recycled tin, copper, rare earth metals and plastic.}}</ref> The company promises a 5-year warranty period and long-term support for software updating and spare parts.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web \|date=30 September 2021 \|title=Fairphone's latest sustainable smartphone comes with a five-year warranty \|url=https://www.theverge.com/2021/9/30/22700014/fairphone-4-release-date-news-features-warranty-price-sustainable \|access-date=2023-04-19 \|website=www.theverge.com}}</ref> In 2017, Fairphone's founder Bas van Abel acknowledged that it was currently impossible to produce a 100% fair phone, suggesting it was more accurate to call his company's phones "fairer".<ref>
	The Fairphone 2 was the first<ref>{{Cite news\|url=https://www.heise.de/newsticker/meldung/Modulares-Smartphone-iFixit-gibt-Fairphone-2-die-volle-Punktzahl-2961476.html\|title=Modulares Smartphone: iFixit gibt Fairphone 2 die volle Punktzahl\|newspaper=heise online\|accessdate=21 January 2017}}</ref> smartphone to be awarded with a 10/10 score at ] for repairability.<ref>{{cite techreport \|title=Fairphone 2 Teardown \|url=https://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/Fairphone+2+Teardown/52523 \|publisher=] \|accessdate=21 January 2017 \|year=2015 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news\|url=http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2015/11/ifixit-gives-modular-fairphone-2-a-rare-10-out-of-10-for-repairability/\|title=iFixit gives modular Fairphone 2 a rare 10 out of 10 for repairability \|newspaper=Ars Technica\|access-date=2017-01-10}}</ref>
			{{cite web \|author=Douglas Rushkoff \|author-link=Douglas Rushkoff \|date=24 July 2018 \|title=How tech's richest plan to save themselves after the apocalypse \|url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2018/jul/23/tech-industry-wealth-futurism-transhumanism-singularity \|accessdate=13 March 2020 \|work=]}}
			</ref><ref>, March 2017</ref>

			In an interview with Will Georgi, Fairphone founder Tessa Vernink mentions:<blockquote>“There might be a misconception that as a social enterprise, we don’t operate like a ‘normal’ business, but that’s not true. In many ways, most of our choices are the same — we still need to make money and sell phones — but the outcome and the goals are different. Our focus is investing in social innovation, instead of purely technical innovation. When other phone companies design a new phone, they research new technology — we research supply chain improvement.”<ref name="inte_Fair" /></blockquote>A survey conducted by Franziska Verna Haucke in the ] found: <blockquote>Surprisingly, the findings show that alternative consumption seems to influence the involvement with the Fairphone and social commitment negatively seems to play a minor role in the model. These aspects point to the Fairphone as a technical artifact, centered on a choice for a sustainable lifestyle.<ref name=":0" /> </blockquote>] is another small mobile telephone manufacturer with a focus on sustainability, and also developed a modular smartphone. The founder of Shiftphone considers that the two companies working in collaboration could have more influence on bigger competitors.<ref name="berlin" />
	Fairphone's founder and CEO Bas van Abel was one of the three winners of the ] in 2016.<ref>{{cite web\|first1=Charlotta\|last1=Lomas\|title=Fairphone creator: Success is a signal to industry\|url=http://www.dw.com/en/fairphone-creator-success-is-a-signal-to-industry/a-36174183\|website=Deutsche Welle\|accessdate=28 October 2016}}</ref>

			== Recognition and certifications ==
	Fairphone is a certified ]. The Fairphone 2 was the first mobile phone to receive the ] award.<ref>{{Cite news\|url=https://www.blauer-engel.de/en/products/home-living/mobile-phones\|title=Environmentally Friendly Mobile Phones\|newspaper=The Blue Angel\|access-date=2017-01-10}}</ref>
			] Conference 2015]]

			In 2016, Fairphone's founder and first CEO Bas van Abel was one of the three recipients of the ].<ref>{{cite web\|first1=Charlotta\|last1=Lomas\|title=Fairphone creator: Success is a signal to industry\|url=http://www.dw.com/en/fairphone-creator-success-is-a-signal-to-industry/a-36174183\|website=Deutsche Welle\|accessdate=28 October 2016}}</ref>
	== Criticism ==

	The choice of using ]'s hardware for the Fairphone 1 device was questioned by ]'s maintainers.<ref>{{Cite web\|url=http://blog.replicant.us/2013/11/fairphone/\|title=About the Fairphone\|date=25 November 2013\|website=blog.replicant.us\|author=Paul Kocialkowski\|access-date=5 January 2017}}</ref> Replicant's maintainers suggested other hardware vendors like ], ], ] and ].<ref>{{Cite web\|url=http://redmine.replicant.us/boards/27/topics/11205?r=12489\|title=Fairphone 2\|date=20 October 2015\|website=redmine.replicant.us\|quote=Fairphone has not reacted to these suggestions.\|access-date=5 March 2016}}</ref>
			The Fairphone 4 was one of the first ] smartphones, receiving its designation in 2021.<ref>{{cite web \|title=New Fairphone 4 5G meets tough sustainability criteria in TCO Certified \|url=https://tcocertified.com/news/new-fairphone-4-5g-meets-tough-sustainability-criteria-in-tco-certified//a-36174183 \|website=TCO Certified \|date=5 October 2021 \|access-date=9 January 2025}}</ref> However, the company had previously suggested its phones exceeded the TCO Certified criteria; indeed, a 2015 side-by-side comparison conducted by ], the ], and the GoodElectronics Network, found the Fairphone 1 to exceed industry standards on more sustainability and social criteria than even the TCO Certified label.<ref>{{cite web \|title=‘Fair’ smartphones compared – Fairphone scores better than TCO-certified smartphones \|url=https://goodelectronics.org/fair-smartphones-compared-fairphone-scores-better-than-tco-certified-smartphones/ \|website=GoodElectronics \|date=20 July 2015 \|access-date=9 January 2025}}</ref>

			Fairphone has also received three consecutive annual Platinum ratings from EcoVadis,<ref>{{cite web \|first=Christine \|last=Hall \|title=EcoVadis Awards Fairphone for Being Good for the Environment and Labor \|url=https://fossforce.com/2023/12/ecovadis-awards-fairphone-for-being-good-for-the-environment-and-labor/ \|website=FossForce \|date=15 December 2023 \|access-date=9 January 2025}}</ref> scoring as high as 88/100 in a rating system that covers four different categories measuring environmental and social metrics. This score placed Fairphone among the top 1% of businesses rated by EcoVadis worldwide.

			== Operating systems ==
			Fairphones can run several operating systems, including ], ], ], ], ], ], and more.<ref>{{Cite web \|date=2022-06-06 \|title=✏ Operating Systems for Fairphones \|url=https://forum.fairphone.com/t/operating-systems-for-fairphones/11425 \|access-date=2022-06-29 \|website=Fairphone Community Forum \|language=en}}</ref> Murena, the company associated with the /e/ foundation, also sells Fairphones with /e/ pre-installed and offers a warranty for them.<ref>{{Cite web \|title=Smartphones \|url=https://murena.com/smartphones/ \|access-date=2023-10-26 \|website=Murena - deGoogled phones and services \|language=en-GB}}</ref> As of 2023 the official /e/ support for FP3 is based on Android 12.

	== See also ==		== See also ==
	* ]		* ]
	* ]		* ]
	* ]		* ]
	* ]		* ]
	* ]		* ]
	* ]		* ]
			* ]
	* ]; a similar modular smartphone

	** ]
			{{portalbar\|Companies\|Telephones\|Telecommunication\|Netherlands}}

	== References ==		== References ==
	{{Reflist\|~~35em~~}}		{{Reflist\|30em}}

	== External links ==		== External links ==
			{{Commonscatinline}}
	{{external links\|date=November 2014}}
	* {{Official website}}		* {{Official website}}
	*		*
			* {{flickr}}
	* '''', Joshua Kopstein, ], 20 December 2012
			* {{Instagram}}
	* '''', ], ], 25 April 2013
			* {{Twitter}}
	* '''', Bas van Abel, ], 8 July 2013
			* {{YouTube\|h=Fairphone}}
	* '''', Sebastian Salek, ], 15 September 2013
			* (presentation by Luca Weiss about Fairphone)
	* '''', Rich McEachran, ], 19 September 2013
	* '''', Sebastian Salek, ], 20 September 2013
	* '': Bas van Abel at ]Amsterdam'', YouTube video, 12 min., 6 November 2013

	]		]
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Latest revision as of 07:15, 10 January 2025

Dutch smartphone manufacturer

Fairphone B.V.

Company type	Privately held company
Industry	Telecommunications equipment
Founded	January 2013; 12 years ago (2013-01)
Founder	Bas van Abel Tessa Wernink
Headquarters	Amsterdam, Netherlands
Area served	Western and Central Europe except Malta and Cyprus
Key people	Bas van Abel (Co-founder) Miquel Ballester Salvà (Co-founder) Raymond van Eck (CEO)
Products	Smartphones
Revenue	€55 million (2023)
Website	www.fairphone.com

Fairphone is a Dutch electronics manufacturer that designs and produces smartphones and headphones. It aims to minimise the ethical and environmental impact of its devices by using recycled, fairtrade and conflict-free materials, maintaining fair labor conditions throughout its workforce and suppliers, and enabling users to easily repair their devices through modular design and by providing replacement parts. As of April 2024, the company's most recent smartphone is the Fairphone 5, which it plans to provide with security updates and software support, including 5 OS updates, for 10 years.

Fairphone has been dubbed the most ethical smartphone in the world, scoring 98 out of 100 possible points by the British magazine Ethical Consumer.

History

Fairphone was founded by Bas van Abel, Tessa Wernink and Miquel Ballester as a social enterprise company in January 2013, having existed as a campaign for two and a half years.

In April 2015 the company became a registered B Corporation.

Since version two, the Fairphone is produced in Suzhou, China, by Hi-P International Limited.

In November 2021, the Fairphone 4 was made available.

As of February 2022, Fairphone had sold around 400,000 devices.

In 2023 a consortium of impact investors led by new shareholders Invest-NL, the ABN AMRO Sustainable Impact Fund, and existing shareholder Quadia, with its Regenero Impact Fund, invested €49 million in Fairphone.

Products


Name	Release date	SoC	CPU			GPU		Memory (GB)	Storage (GB)	Display		Camera		Initial Android version	Battery capacity (mAh)
Name	Release date	SoC	Type	Speed (GHz)	Cores	Type	Speed (MHz)	Memory (GB)	Storage (GB)	Size (inches)	PPI	Rear	Front	Initial Android version	Battery capacity (mAh)
Fairphone 1	Dec 2013	MediaTek MT6589	Cortex-A7	1.2	4	PowerVR SGX544MP	286	1	16 +up to 64GB	4.3	256	8MP	1.3MP	4.2.2	2000
Fairphone 2	Dec 2015	Qualcomm Snapdragon 801	Krait 400	2.26	4	Adreno 330	578	2	32 +up to 2TB	5	446	12MP	5MP	5.1	2420
Fairphone 3	Sep 2019	Qualcomm Snapdragon 632	Kryo 250 Gold+Silver	1.8+1.8	4+4	Adreno 506	600	4	64 +up to 2TB	5.65	427	12MP	8MP	9	3060
Fairphone 3+	Sep 2020	Qualcomm Snapdragon 632	Kryo 250 Gold+Silver	1.8+1.8	4+4	Adreno 506	600	4	64 +up to 2TB	5.65	427	48MP (12MP output)	16MP	10	3060
Fairphone 4	30 Sep 2021	Qualcomm Snapdragon 750G	Kryo 570 Gold+Silver	2.2+1.8	2+6	Adreno 619	950	6/8	128/256 +up to 2TB	6.3	409	48MP OIS, 48 MP Ultrawide, (ToF + Color) sensor	25MP	11	3905
Fairphone 5	30 Aug 2023	Qualcomm Snapdragon QCM6490	Kryo 670 Prime+Gold+Silver	2.7+2.4+1.9	1+3+4	Adreno 643	812	8	256 +up to 2TB	6.46	459	50MP OIS, 50 MP Ultrawide, (ToF + Color) sensor	50MP	13	4200

Social impact and competitors

The phone is modular, which makes it easily repairable and customisable by the user, in keeping with right to repair principles. According to the company, increasing the lifespan of a phone by two years reduces CO₂ emissions by 30%.

The gold and silver in Fairphone 4 has the Fairtrade label, also metals used are said to come from conflict-free mines. The company promises a 5-year warranty period and long-term support for software updating and spare parts. In 2017, Fairphone's founder Bas van Abel acknowledged that it was currently impossible to produce a 100% fair phone, suggesting it was more accurate to call his company's phones "fairer".

In an interview with Will Georgi, Fairphone founder Tessa Vernink mentions:

“There might be a misconception that as a social enterprise, we don’t operate like a ‘normal’ business, but that’s not true. In many ways, most of our choices are the same — we still need to make money and sell phones — but the outcome and the goals are different. Our focus is investing in social innovation, instead of purely technical innovation. When other phone companies design a new phone, they research new technology — we research supply chain improvement.”

A survey conducted by Franziska Verna Haucke in the Journal of Cleaner Production found:

Surprisingly, the findings show that alternative consumption seems to influence the involvement with the Fairphone and social commitment negatively seems to play a minor role in the model. These aspects point to the Fairphone as a technical artifact, centered on a choice for a sustainable lifestyle.

Shiftphone is another small mobile telephone manufacturer with a focus on sustainability, and also developed a modular smartphone. The founder of Shiftphone considers that the two companies working in collaboration could have more influence on bigger competitors.

Recognition and certifications

In 2016, Fairphone's founder and first CEO Bas van Abel was one of the three recipients of the German Environmental Award.

The Fairphone 4 was one of the first TCO Certified smartphones, receiving its designation in 2021. However, the company had previously suggested its phones exceeded the TCO Certified criteria; indeed, a 2015 side-by-side comparison conducted by Südwind Association, the Centre for Research on Multinational Corporations, and the GoodElectronics Network, found the Fairphone 1 to exceed industry standards on more sustainability and social criteria than even the TCO Certified label.

Fairphone has also received three consecutive annual Platinum ratings from EcoVadis, scoring as high as 88/100 in a rating system that covers four different categories measuring environmental and social metrics. This score placed Fairphone among the top 1% of businesses rated by EcoVadis worldwide.

Operating systems

Fairphones can run several operating systems, including CalyxOS, DivestOS, /e/, iodeOS, LineageOS, Ubuntu Touch, and more. Murena, the company associated with the /e/ foundation, also sells Fairphones with /e/ pre-installed and offers a warranty for them. As of 2023 the official /e/ support for FP3 is based on Android 12.