Chances are you never heard about Fairphone before. Don't worry, this is totally understandable. Fairphone is a Dutch non-profit company and still pretty unknown on the global market. Their aim and mission is nothing less than the ambitious goal to eradicate the wasteful consumer culture that, in their view, plagues our western society.
In order to achieve their goals of offering a sustainable alternative to the mainstream consumer electronics market, Fairphone designed the first world's ethically sourced smartphone. The device is somehow similar to Google's Project Ara; however, it doesn't compete with the giant corporation's ambitious project.
Based on the sustainable development concepts, Fairphone utilizes as few conflict materials as possible. Until now, the Dutch non-profit company has sold already 60,000 Fairphones. This is a fairly decent figure for a non-profit, mostly unknown on the global market.
Even the Dutch company was surprised to see that their smartphone sells so quickly. Encouraged by their unexpected success with the first Fairphone model, the Dutch non-profit company is now back with their second version, Fairphone 2.
One of the upgrades of the new Fairphone 2 is that not only this model will be ethically sourced but also easily repairable. The company will supply spare parts for their mobile phone, including CPU, screen, camera, and speakers. Google's Project Ara is also likely to come with some swappable parts that can be attached to the device. But, Fairphone is not focusing on providing swapping accessories but on offering a mobile phone that can easily be repaired.
The Dutch non-profit company claims that their policy of supplying spare parts for repairs will prolong the life of Fairphone 2 for nearly a decade. Their device can as well be taken apart quite easily. Fairphone 2 has a rubberized back and it is fairly durable. If you damage a component, for instance its screen, all you need to do is to slide it off just by flicking two clips.
However, if you are expecting some exciting features and specifications on Fairphone 2, you'll certainly be disappointed. This is not a device bragging on high-end specs and features, but merely on providing bare basic functionality. It comes with 2 GB of RAM, 32 GB internal storage, a 5-inch HD display, no front camera, an 8-MP rear shooter, Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor, running Android 5.1, and powered by a 2,420mAh battery. It also features dual SIM option, a MicroSD card slot, and an expansion port to add a sensor.
For the moment, Fairphone 2 beats Project Ara's modular phone in the market. Fairphone 2 opening is expected this summer. Pre-orders for Fairphone 2 are quite numerous, while the delivery isn't expected before the fall. The phone's retail price is $590 or €525. It still remains to be seen if the ethical phone concept will make its way to the North American market or not.
