Here is the Shift phone 8, a phone using the same concept as the Fairphone and comprising 13 modular parts. This small project goes through crowdfunding and tries to combine smartphone, ecology and ethics. An entire program.
Do you know Shift phone? To be honest, before this morning, we weren’t familiar either with this small German manufacturer highlighted by the site of his compatriots. WinFuture. The reason we tell you about it is because they just announced their latest smartphone, the Shift phone 8, and this one looks very promising.
Its name, which is reminiscent of the Shift project, makes direct reference to ecological ambitions. A bit like the Dell Concept Luna Framework Laptop or the Fairphone, this phone is still in the planning phase and is a modular phone. Concretely, the manufacturer promises that 13 parts can be easily exchanged using a simple screwdriver. We do not yet know which parts are affected. The battery is also very easy to remove.
An HD+ screen, but IP 67
On the configuration side, the phone adopts an entry-level technical sheet with unfortunately a 6-inch screen only with HD + definition. However, it is protected by Gorilla Glass (without further details). There is also a 5G chip, a Snapdragon 700 series (again, the manufacturer does not specify).
The phone is the first from the manufacturer to obtain an IP 67 certification, which for a device designed to be open remains a good performance. As a reminder, the Fairphone 4 has an IP 54 index.
A privacy dimension
In addition, we find all the classic elements of a phone that is aimed at buyers who are a bit out of touch with the classic smartphone market. Physical elements make it possible to cut cameras and microphones and an SDXC card slot is included.
The company promises five years of warranty as well as an update to Android 14 eventually. The phone comes with Android 13. Made in China, the Shift phone 8 is supposed to use the most climate-neutral materials possible. Working conditions are also presented as “fair”.
Where to find it?
The long-term project of Shift phone is clearly to go further than a simple replacement of components, but a modularity that would allow the phone to evolve over time.
Funded via a crowdfunding campaign on their own site which allows you to buy it for 444 euros instead of the planned 555 euros, the Shift phone 8 will arrive in stores on April 4, 2023.
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