Why buy a Fairphone? Do those who tried it regret it? We take stock with buyers of the famous eco-friendly and ethical phone.
The Fairphone 4 // Source: Anthony Wonner – Frandroid
“I took a Fairphone for ecological reasons, and I hope humanitarian ones”, “I was in an ecological approach, reparability”, “I wanted to pay the real price of things”… At a time when ecology invites itself every day in the public debate, where the repairability index takes more and more place in the purchase of a tech object, the reasons which can motivate many consumers buying an ultra-repairable phone may seem more and more audible. In this case, between 370,000 to 400,000 Fairphones, all models combined, have been sold worldwide since the launch of the brand.
The Fairphones, whatever their version, are generally a little behind the rest of the market. Anyone who is tempted to buy one finds themselves forced to arbitrate between the quality of their phone and their convictions. So the crucial question is: how much are you giving up on using a Fairphone? Better yet, do we win?
To better understand, we went to meet those who were tempted and bought a Fairphone 1, 2, 3 or 3 Plus. The Fairphone 4 being still recent, we have not found a buyer for this model.
“It’s tough”
The feeling of robustness comes back in many testimonials that we have collected. “If I compare with all my other laptops in my life, where I was worried about damaging them, then I have total confidence in its solidity”says Marion Leclerc, buyer of a Fairphone 3 Plus in June 2021. “The cover is very well adapted, it prevents any fall on the screen. I have a job that requires me to take it out a lot and it’s quite reassuring”says the young woman.
Marie Mabille, buyer of a Fairphone 3, agrees: “the screen isn’t damaged at all, you can tell it’s sturdy. » For the environmental activist in AMAP, keeping her phone as long as possible is a real personal challenge. “It’s even an experience that we are trying, to see how far we can go”she smiles.
Can we really fix it?
Of course, the durability of the Fairphone relies heavily on the promise that surrounds this phone like no other. Depending on the brand, it can theoretically be repaired in the event of a glitch. But is it true? According to most of the users we interviewed, the promise seems to have been fulfilled.
Witness Florent Maurin, for example, buyer of the Fairphone 1: “He was really great! I have broken, opened and repaired it many times, for my greatest pleasure. Unfortunately, general fatigue and a lack of OS updates forced me to change it, but I was able to keep it for almost 4 years anyway. »
The Fairphone 4 // Source: Anthony Wonner – Frandroid
Philippe-Emmanuel Caillé, 1st deputy in charge of ecological transition at Bois-Guillaume (76), has also gone through the repair box several times. “On that, it’s very good. Changing the shell, the battery… it’s done quickly. They kept their promise. » And the price ? Several interviewees agree on one point: “It’s a cost, but it’s not excessive, especially if we had to do the same thing with an Apple or a Samsung. » “It costs me less than changing my phone”, Judge Marion Leclerc.
The failure of the Fairphone 2
So, everything is fine in the best of all possible worlds? Not entirely. Already, the Fairphones are not all equal. To resituate the range, the Fairphone 4 has just been released, and there were four models before, the Fairphone 1, 2, 3 and 3+. In the middle of all this, there is a black sheep on which everyone agrees: the Fairphone 2 was really not a bargain.
“Fairly soon after my purchase, people could no longer hear me when I called, so I thought I had to change the bottom module”explains Julien Sanchez, 28 years old. “I replaced it, but that didn’t solve my problem either. So I wasn’t satisfied: the whole principle of the Fairphone, being able to change parts to have a durable phone, didn’t work for me. »
Even the minimum it gets stuck
However, the young SES teacher did not have high expectations either: “All I expect from a phone is a battery that lasts at least the day and being able to call, send messages and go on the internet. The problem is that these elementary functions were not working properly. » He cites as an example “a very low battery, a microphone to call that quickly stopped working and that I couldn’t change, a phone that rang about half the time when someone called me…”
Philippe-Emmanuel Caillé also broke his teeth on the second model. He noticed a “Very rapid battery wear due to updates and phone crashes. It rebooted by itself, I lost data on an SD card. » In short, nothing was right.
Note, however, that the bad experience of the Fairphone 2 seems to have been well recovered afterwards. No one complained about this type of problem on the following models among our witnesses.
The picture disappoints
Another point to be prepared for if you are considering buying a Fairphone: the photo often comes up as a reason for disappointment. “He is really very good, except for the photo. It’s really rotten”throws Marion. “I haven’t posted on Instagram since I got it. Clearly, if I was a tiktoker, I would not have been able to take this smartphone ”, she jokes.
The Fairphone 4 // Source: Anthony Wonner – Frandroid
Marie Mabille, does not claim to be a Tiktokeuse either, but she regrets her Samsung from before: “I did not appreciate discovering the poor quality of my photos after the purchase. They are correct, but in terms of brightness, I had to tweak by installing applications. »
Thibault Dambrine, buyer of a Fairphone 3, is already considering switching to the Fairphone 3+: “I’m considering this because it adds a modular side that allows you to upgrade inexpensively and without changing the entire device. »
Why pay more ?
On arrival, all those who have tried the Fairphone adventure, apart from the unlucky Fairphone 2, appear satisfied with their purchase. They even gladly recommend the brand to their friends and relatives. This even though they paid a sum well above the market to equip themselves and they agree on the photographic inconveniences of the formula. ” These are mid-range machines at a high-end price,” rightly points out Florent Maurin.
The Fairphone 4 // Source: Anthony Wonner – Frandroid
There is no mystery behind this consensus: everyone agrees to say that they derive real satisfaction from their purchase, whether on an ethical, political or psychological level.
“The most important thing for me was to pay the real price for things”explains Philippe-Emmanuel Caillé, “If you see an apple at 0.99 euros per kilo, there is something wrong with the chain, remuneration, massive treatment that pollutes, exploitation, etc. »
Most virtuous except all others
Julien Sanchez abounds: “Even if I think we have to be nuanced about the political scope of consumer choices, we can say that I considered it a militant act. I believe that the low prices of what we buy are borne by others, in terms of the environment or in terms of working conditions. » Same story on the side of Florent Morin, who adds: “Everything is undervalued to encourage consumption. You only have to look at the conditions of extraction of the minerals or of the work in the factories to be convinced of this. So of course the Fairphone is not perfect, but it is, to my knowledge, by far the most virtuous in this area. »
The Fairphone 4 // Source: Anthony Wonner – Frandroid
For some, like Marion Leclerc, the act of buying the Fairphone itself amounts to moving the lines. She explains that buying a“Fairphone helps solidify the brand. We give money to help improve the prototype, and over time, this gives more and more viable versions, as the existence of the Fairphone 4 with its OLED screen proves. In addition to having a durable phone, we know that we participated in something that makes things happen. » For the young woman, buying Fairphone almost amounts to “participate in crowdfunding Tipee or Ulule way. » A win-win logic therefore, which could also explain the success of the Dutch firm.
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