I attempted the viral Fairphone 6, and it is one function away from changing my Pixel

ZDNET’s key takeaways

• The Fairphone Gen 6 is on the market within the EU on the official web site for round $800 and on Amazon within the US for $839.
• It is repairable and designed for the lengthy haul, with a handful of fascinating options.
• As of now, it is solely obtainable within the US with Muerna’s e/OS – not as an Android.

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I’ve reviewed loads of Android and Android-type telephones through the years, and I at all times suppose, “I’m wondering how lengthy this telephone will final till it is forged apart for one thing newer”. It is a thought that at all times creeps in, irrespective of the kind of telephone I am reviewing, and I do know I am not the one one. 

Then comes the Fairphone, a fair-trade smartphone that is repairable and designed for the lengthy haul. Fairphone needs you to shed the concept it’s important to improve yearly, saving you cash within the course of and stopping gadgets from discovering their method into landfills.

Additionally: Why I recommend this budget Android phone to most people over Samsung and Google

As somebody who’s championed clear and accountable residing, the Fairphone could be very interesting to me. When the corporate despatched me the Gen 6 to evaluate, I used to be excited to offer it a strive. Naturally, I tempered my expectations, realizing this was a midrange gadget and that I could not count on it to beat my Pixel 9 Pro in efficiency.  

That being stated, the Fairphone Gen 6 was under no circumstances a disappointment. Really, I discovered it fairly refreshing.

One factor to remember is that the Fairphone Gen 6 will be ordered instantly from the Murena website, however it comes with the privacy-focused /e/OS (deGoogled Android) and primarily works finest on T-Cell’s community for full performance like VoLTE/VoWi-Fi. 

In response to Fairphone, the corporate partnered with Murena to streamline its entry to the U.S. market. This implies, sadly, that you would be able to’t purchase the Fairphone Gen 6 with Android anyplace exterior of the EU. No less than for now.  

My expertise

After unboxing the Fairphone, the very first thing I seen was how mild it felt in my hand. Then got here the feel; the telephone simply felt good, as if I may confidently maintain the factor with out it slipping from my grasp. There is a slight texture to the case, which supplies it a little bit of grip.

I like.

Do not get me fallacious, the Fairphone is most definitely not a flagship gadget, however any telephone that sells for simply over $700 is to not be thought-about on the high of the heap. Even so, the Fairphone Gen 6 did stand as much as nearly each mid-range gadget I’ve examined, and surpassed many.

Additionally: The best kids’ phones you can buy

The Fairphone Gen 6 has the distinction of garnering an ideal rating on iFixit’s Reparability Scale, and that issues. This can be a telephone that’s meant to be repaired, not forgotten, and with this gadget, you’ll be able to restore the battery, show, high unit, cameras, earpieces, loudspeaker, even the USB-C port. 

And earlier than you suppose such issues are above your head, the corporate has how-to movies that will help you alongside the way in which. I problem you to search out one other telephone firm that provides such strong self-repair directions. 

Should you check out the again of the telephone, you will see two screws that give quick access to the telephone’s internals. In contrast to most producers that wish to maintain you from repairing their telephones (in order that they’ve locked you right into a shopping for schedule), Fairphone goes the other route and encourages you to restore no matter ails your gadget.

It is such a breath of contemporary air.

Now, how does the Gen 6 carry out? As I discussed earlier, it is not going to beat out my Pixel 9 Professional, however I had no assumption that it could. Even so, this telephone carried out fairly effectively. Apps open shortly, and animations are pretty clean on the default refresh price. 

In order for you smoother animations and scrolling, head over to Settings > Show > Refresh price and bump it as much as 120 Hz. Remember the fact that upping the refresh price can have a damaging affect on battery life, but when a smoother expertise is what you need, then you definately’ll in all probability be okay with that. 

Additionally: My top 6 open-source Android apps from the Google Play Store – and why that’s important

Talking of which, the Fairphone Gen 6 features a 4,415-mAh cell battery, which allowed me to go a full day with regular utilization. No, this is not anyplace close to the battery lifetime of, say, any one of many Oukitel phones, however it’s not too shabby. Moreover, I’ve skilled some Pixel gadgets (take into account the Pixel 4) with far worse battery life.

One of many fascinating little additions to the Fairphone is the bodily swap on the fitting aspect that may be personalized to sure actions. At first, I used to be confused as a result of I might by accident hit the swap and activate the Fairphone Moments function. 

This function permits you to create a distraction-free UI to remodel your telephone right into a simplified area for important apps. It is really form of good as a result of it permits you to swap between the usual Android UI to 1 that resembles certainly one of my favourite minimal launchers, O Launcher.

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Should you do not just like the minimal launcher, go to Settings > Change and choose what you need to decide on (from Moments, Do Not Disturb, Flight Mode, Torch Mild, Darkish & Mild Mode, or Battery Saver). This function alone makes me wish to undertake the Fairphone as my go-to as a result of it is simply so useful.

Within the field, you will additionally discover a device that makes it simple to take away the screws from the again of the gadget, so you do not have to fret about procuring one.

ZDNET’s shopping for recommendation

Should you’re uninterested in buying a brand new telephone yearly (or each different 12 months), I might significantly advocate looking on the Fairphone Gen 6. Not solely does it carry out in addition to any mid-range telephone, however the capacity to restore it makes it stand out amongst a crowd of gadgets that wish to lock you into a purchase order schedule which may pressure your price range.

The Fairphone may simply be the primary telephone you possibly can maintain round for years to come back, and that could be a sensible thought.

You should purchase the Fairphone Gen 6 with both Android or the deGoogle’d Murena OS from the official retailer.

Fairphone Gen 6 tech specs

• CPU – Qualcomm Snapdragon 7s Gen 3
• Show – 6.31-inch P-OLED 
• Safety – Corning Gorilla Glass 7i display screen
• Battery – 4415mAh battery
• Storage – 256GB 
• RAM – 8GB of RAM
• Cameras – three-lens digicam setup: 50MP principal, 13MP secondary rear, and 32MP selfie digicam