For 10 years, Fairphone has been a UFO in the world of telephony. While smartphone manufacturers are pushing for the accelerated renewal of their ranges to sell ever more terminals, even if it means being attacked like Apple for planned obsolescence, the Dutch manufacturer has made the issue of sustainability its trademark.
The modular design of its models makes it possible to replace a screen, a battery, a camera or a speaker. No need to call an authorized repairer, a standard screwdriver easily reaches the visible screws, unlike competing smartphones with a glued case, or with a specific screw thread.
For sale on its site, these spare parts extend the life of its models – from the Fairphone 2, marketed in 2015, to the latest, the Fairphone 4, launched in 2021. Fairphone can thus offer a five-year warranty. and posting a record repairability index of 9.3 on its latest model.
Pass the milestone of 5 years of lifespan
Fairphone shows that the life of a smartphone can go beyond 23 to 40 months – the average duration of use of this type of device according to an Arcep report. A number very far from the 5 to 10 years of potential lifespan estimated by the telecom regulator. Or the study of this analysis firm, which estimates the lifespan of an iPhone at 4.3 years.
After refurbishment, durability is the most serious way to reduce the environmental impact of a smartphone. More than its use, it is indeed its manufacture that weighs down its carbon footprint. From the extraction of rare earths to the logistics flows between assemblers, it is responsible for around three-quarters of its impacts, according to Ademe.
Fairphone intends to reduce this footprint by using recycled materials, starting with its plastic case. Eco-responsible, the manufacturer also wants to be ethical. This is why he goes through fair trade channels to source gold, cobalt or lithium. According to its 2021 impact report, Fairphone also increased workers working in its assembly plants by one month’s pay.
To continue on this path, the manufacturer has just raised 49 million euros from an international consortium of impact investors, mainly Dutch. This breath of fresh air should allow it to accelerate its growth and pursue its main mission, “to make electronics more ethical”. Incidentally, he will be able to reimburse the 1,000 contributors to his last crowdfunding campaign.
Over 100,000 users
For the time being, the results remain modest. The Amsterdam-based company claims over 100,000 users. In 2021, it achieved a turnover of nearly 37 million, one million more than the previous year. However, the planets could align for Fairphone and give it a bright future.
Its ethical and eco-responsible positioning resonates with the values held by young consumers of generations Y and Z, sensitive to environmental and societal issues. It is also a question of reconciling the end of the world and the end of the month. Inflation pressure is leading users to keep their smartphones longer or turn to refurbished models.
According to the analysis firm Canalys, global smartphone sales fell by a record 18% in the last quarter of 2022 to 296.9 million units sold. Conversely, the second-hand market is booming. So many good omens for Fairphone.
Note that the Dutch manufacturer is not the only one to have opted for this positioning. The French Crosscall offers durable smartphones, also guaranteed for five years. Designed with a hardened casing, its waterproof terminals that are resistant to extreme conditions are aimed at athletes and industrial companies committed to a CSR policy. Crosscall notably equips the SNCF, AcerlorMittal and Renault Trucks.