TechPhonesThe Fairphone 5 is good for the planet, but that’s not all it’s good forRepairability and longevity are great for cutting your carbon footprint, but it’s also incredibly practicalWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
TechPhonesThe Fairphone 5 is good for the planet, but that’s not all it’s good forRepairability and longevity are great for cutting your carbon footprint, but it’s also incredibly practicalWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
Repairability and longevity are great for cutting your carbon footprint, but it’s also incredibly practical
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: Future / Sam Cross)
(Image credit: Future / Sam Cross)
No brand is doing more to address this thanFairphone. The Dutch outfit have set out to change unfair practices across the tech industry, from wastage to wages. Now, their latest handset – the Fairphone 5 – is here.
(Image credit: Future / Sam Cross)
(Image credit: Future / Sam Cross)
Fairphone 5 Specs
The Fairphone 5 packs in a few upgrades over previous generations. Most notably, that comes in the camera department, where a duo of 50MP cameras in the back are paired with a 50MP selfie shooter.
You’ll find aSonyIMX800 for the main camera duties, paired with a 50MP ultra-wide, while aSamsungJN1 is used in the front. We’ll get into the camera in a little more detail further down the page.
Elsewhere, you’ll find a 4,200mAh battery. That is fully removable and replaceable – which you’ll soon see is a theme here – and promises a 50% charge in just 20 minutes if you use a 30W charger. It’s paired with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, though the latter can be upgraded with a Micro SD card up to 2TB.
A Qualcomm QCM 6490 processor is powering things. That’s not an entirely well known chipset in the phone world – it comes from the same company which build theSnapdragon 8 Gen 2– but it’s often used in smart home devices. It’s built using a 6nm process, too.
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(Image credit: Future / Sam Cross)
(Image credit: Future / Sam Cross)
Why should I buy a Fairphone 5?
The big difference with Fairphone products is their commitment to keeping your handset running for as long as possible. A large portion of their concept is that you can fix things as they go wrong, rather than having to simply toss the phone and start again.
Repairability is definitely a buzzword in the tech industry these days. We’ve seen bothAppleandSamsungget in on the act in the last year, after mounting pressure from bodies like the European Commission. But for Fairphone, that has always been at the forefront.
On the Fairphone 5, you’ll find 11 spare parts available to purchase on their website. Everything comes apart and goes back together with a small Phillips head screwdriver, making the process really simple.
Don’t think that’s only handy from a repair perspective, either. Users have been known to purchase spare batteries to quickly swap them out rather than recharging. That’s really useful. Think of festival goers, or those who spend a lot of time in off-grid environments – no need to pack a portable charger, simply swap out the battery itself instead.
It’s not just removeable hardware that’s worth shouting about, either. The brand are also committed to keeping your software updated for as long as possible. On this handset, that’s supported until 2031 – giving users a fulleight yearsof compatibility. That includes support from Qualcomm until 2028 on the chipset.
That kind of support is massive. Most phones promise two or three years of software updates, with an additional year or two of security updates.
(Image credit: Future / Sam Cross)
(Image credit: Future / Sam Cross)
Is the Fairphone 5 camera any good?
One of the biggest talking points in the new range is that camera array. It deserves it, too, bringing a decent upgrade over the previous generation.
But is it actually any good? Well, I took a handful of shots to test it out and generally, yes, it is. Okay, it’s not going to have camera heavyweights like theSamsung Galaxy S23 Ultraor theGoogle Pixel 7 Prosweating, but it’s more than capable of handling the demands of most users.
Image1of3Main sensor(Image credit: Future / Sam Cross)2x zoom(Image credit: Future / Sam Cross)Ultra wide sensor(Image credit: Future / Sam Cross)
Image1of3Main sensor(Image credit: Future / Sam Cross)2x zoom(Image credit: Future / Sam Cross)Ultra wide sensor(Image credit: Future / Sam Cross)
Image1of3
Main sensor(Image credit: Future / Sam Cross)2x zoom(Image credit: Future / Sam Cross)Ultra wide sensor(Image credit: Future / Sam Cross)
Main sensor(Image credit: Future / Sam Cross)2x zoom(Image credit: Future / Sam Cross)Ultra wide sensor(Image credit: Future / Sam Cross)
Main sensor(Image credit: Future / Sam Cross)
Main sensor(Image credit: Future / Sam Cross)
Main sensor(Image credit: Future / Sam Cross)
Main sensor(Image credit: Future / Sam Cross)
Main sensor(Image credit: Future / Sam Cross)
2x zoom(Image credit: Future / Sam Cross)
2x zoom(Image credit: Future / Sam Cross)
2x zoom(Image credit: Future / Sam Cross)
2x zoom(Image credit: Future / Sam Cross)
2x zoom(Image credit: Future / Sam Cross)
Ultra wide sensor(Image credit: Future / Sam Cross)
Ultra wide sensor(Image credit: Future / Sam Cross)
Ultra wide sensor(Image credit: Future / Sam Cross)
Ultra wide sensor(Image credit: Future / Sam Cross)
Ultra wide sensor(Image credit: Future / Sam Cross)
The main sensor is crisp and detailed, with a decent colour balance. That maps really nicely at 2x zoom, too. There’s no mention of an optical zoom on the spec sheet, but you certainly wouldn’t notice that in these images, retaining the clarity and overall profile of the native shots.
The ultra-wide does let it down a little. Images maintain the same character – something which not all phones manage to achieve – but the detail does disappear somewhat. Just look at the trees on the right hand side of the above image to see what I mean.
Image1of2(Image credit: Future / Sam Cross)(Image credit: Future / Sam Cross)
Image1of2(Image credit: Future / Sam Cross)(Image credit: Future / Sam Cross)
Image1of2
(Image credit: Future / Sam Cross)(Image credit: Future / Sam Cross)
(Image credit: Future / Sam Cross)(Image credit: Future / Sam Cross)
(Image credit: Future / Sam Cross)
(Image credit: Future / Sam Cross)
(Image credit: Future / Sam Cross)
(Image credit: Future / Sam Cross)
(Image credit: Future / Sam Cross)
(Image credit: Future / Sam Cross)
(Image credit: Future / Sam Cross)
(Image credit: Future / Sam Cross)
(Image credit: Future / Sam Cross)
(Image credit: Future / Sam Cross)
Portrait mode works really nicely, too. There’s just the right amount of background blur, keeping the foreground tightly in focus without losing all definition with content in the back.
I did manage to trip it up with a moving subject, where the camera was unable to pick out the exact shape in the foreground. But that’s a fairly tall order for any handset, so I won’t mark it down too harshly.
The selfie camera is also great. A 50MP Samsung JN1 sensor is a lot of camera for front facing duties, but the results are excellent. It will be perfect for capturing front-facing content, particularly with a selfie portrait mode, too.
(Image credit: Future / Sam Cross)
(Image credit: Future / Sam Cross)
Should I buy a Fairphone 5?
So, the big question is should you buy one? Overwhelmingly, there are a lot of reasons why you should. Of course, if you’re particularly concerned about the environment or the longevity of your handset, this should be top of your list. It’s a really brilliant initiative.
I think there are a lot of other applications for it, though. As mentioned, that battery replacement opens a lot of doors. You can pick up a spare battery for just £35.95, which is really not a lot. A goodpower bankwould set you back more.
One thing is for certain, though – this isn’t just a gimmick. It’s a genuinely useful bit of tech that will be more than enough for a lot of users. And it might just save the planet a little in the process. What’s not to like?
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