You may know Fairphone for its repairable and “eco-responsible” phones. But the company is not limited to mobiles, as evidenced by the new Fairbuds wireless headphones that the manufacturer wants to position as an example for the rest of the industry.
If you’ve been using wireless headphones on a daily basis for several years, chances are their battery life has gotten worse over time. Unfortunately, most of these gadgets do not have a removable battery and it is therefore impossible to give these devices a facelift with spare parts. Faced with this observation, the Dutch company Fairphone decided not to give in.
More durable, more repairable than the competition
On April 9, 2024, the firm announced the release of its “Fairbuds” wireless headphones similar to what we find from Sony, Jabra or Apple, but with a big emphasis on repair. Unlike their competitors full of glue and solder, the Fairbuds are made up of seven modules “easily replaceable», Promises the manufacturer. Starting with the battery.
Changing the battery in an earphone simply requires removing a silicone ring and opening the compartment provided for this purpose. The operation can be done without any tools and is precisely detailed in a video showing how to repair every aspect of the Fairbuds. The case’s battery can also be changed with nothing more than a Phillips screwdriver. And not to spoil anything, the devices are guaranteed for 3 years and Fairphone obviously sells all the spare parts on its online store, from the shell to the tips including the battery and the right or left earphones in the event of loss.
Obviously, Fairphone didn’t just focus on the DIY aspect of its headphones. The Fairbuds feature 11mm drivers, 6 microphones in total (3 on each earbud), a touch control surface, multi-point Bluetooth 5.3 connectivity and a USB-C port. They also offer an active noise reduction algorithm. Fairphone promises 6 hours of listening time on a single charge and an additional 20 hours thanks to the battery integrated into the case. An application to manage the headphones is also available on iOS and Android. Finally, the accessories are IP54 certified to withstand everyday bad weather.
Sold for €149
These Fairbuds, sold for €149, are both progress for Fairphone compared to the True Wireless models of 2022 (which strangely did not benefit from a repairable design), but also a model for the industry.
True to its reputation, Fairphone is trying to show that it is possible to make compact and efficient headphones without necessarily making concessions on repairability. An approach intended both to attract consumers and to put pressure on other audio device manufacturers. The manufacturer even dares to suggest that the Fairbuds could be “the last headphones you will ever buy.»
Remember that the vast majority of the digital carbon footprint is due to the manufacturing of new terminals. Keeping your devices as long as possible is the most effective way to work towards a more viable and liveable digital world.
Source : Fairphone
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