Published in Mobiles

Fairphone 5 gets perfect score from iFixit

by on09 December 2023


Could last ten years 

The iFixit team pulled apart the newest Fairphone 5 smartphone and awarded its highest score for repairability: 10 out of 10.

The team said that the Fairphone 5 is just as repairable as its predecessors and could easily last ten years. 

iFixit said that opening the phone is a matter of popping off the back of the case. It has a better 4200 mAh battery instead of the previous 3905 mAh which is a doddle to remove, although the bigger size has implications elsewhere in the device.

It is possible to replace the USB-C port thanks to a metal lip that allows it to be removed easily. Individual cameras can also be replaced.

Rather than something along the lines of the Core Module of the previous phone, the iFixit team found a motherboard and daughterboard more akin to other Android handsets. According to Fairphone, the bigger battery made the disappointin change necessary. The teardown outfit noted clear labeling to stop cables from being accidentally plugged into the wrong places.

"That's what intuitive repair design is all about: it should be easy to do the right thing and complicated to do the wrong thing," iFixit said.

According to iFixit co-founder and CEO Kyle Wiens: "Fairphone's promise of five Android version upgrades and over eight years of security updates with the Fairphone 5 is a bold statement in an industry that leans towards fleeting product life cycles. This is a significant stride towards sustainability and sets a new benchmark for smartphone lifespan."

"Fairphone's effort to attain a 10-year lifespan is not just impressive; it's unparalleled."

 

Last modified on 11 December 2023
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