In the ever-evolving world of smartphones, Fairphone stands out as a beacon of sustainability and ethical manufacturing. The Fairphone 5, the latest offering from this innovative company, brings a fresh perspective to the mobile industry. This repairable smartphone not only aims to reduce electronic waste but also challenges the throw-away culture that has become all too common in modern tech consumption.
The Fairphone 5 runs on Android 13 and boasts features that rival mainstream devices while maintaining its core ethos of repairability and longevity. This review delves into the sustainable design and build of the device, assesses its performance and user experience, examines its camera capabilities, and explores the long-term value and support offered by Fairphone. By the end, readers will have a clear understanding of how this eco-friendly innovation stacks up against conventional smartphones in today’s market.
Sustainable Design and Build
The Fairphone 5 exemplifies the company’s commitment to sustainable and ethical manufacturing practices. This innovative smartphone challenges the prevailing make-use-dispose mentality in the electronics industry by incorporating several key features that promote longevity and environmental responsibility.
Modular Construction
At the heart of the Fairphone 5’s design is its modular construction, which allows for easy repairs and upgrades. The device boasts 10 spare parts, including individually replaceable wide and ultra-wide cameras, as well as separate SIM card and SD card slots 1. This enhanced modularity expands the scope of DIY repairs compared to earlier models, empowering users to extend their device’s lifespan and reduce electronic waste 2.
Recycled Materials
The Fairphone 5 integrates a significant amount of recycled and responsibly sourced materials. It incorporates recycled aluminum, tin, rare earth elements, nickel, zinc, copper, magnesium, indium, and plastics 3. Additionally, the usage of gold, silver, and cobalt is fully matched with Fairmined Gold and Silver Credits, as well as Cobalt Credits, supporting improved working conditions in artisanal and small-scale mining communities 3.
Durability Features
To ensure longevity, the Fairphone 5 is built with durability in mind. It features a MIL-810H durability rating, providing military-grade protection against impacts and drops 4. The device also boasts an IP55 certification, offering improved resistance to dust and water splashes compared to its predecessor 1. These features contribute to the phone’s ability to withstand everyday accidents and environmental factors, further extending its usable life.
The Fairphone 5’s sustainable design goes beyond physical attributes. The device comes with a unique Qualcomm QCM6490 Octa Core extended life chipset, enabling Fairphone to offer at least eight years of software support and updates 3. This long-term software commitment, coupled with a five-year warranty, encourages users to keep their devices for longer periods, thereby reducing the overall carbon footprint associated with frequent smartphone replacements 3.
Performance and User Experience
Display Quality
The Fairphone 5 boasts a 6.46-inch OLED display, offering users a larger screen compared to its predecessor. With a resolution of 1224 x 2700 and a maximum brightness of 880 nits, the screen provides stunning picture quality 4. The 90Hz refresh rate contributes to a smooth viewing experience, making it ideal for watching shows, scrolling through social media, and playing games 4.
Processing Power
The Fairphone 5 is equipped with a Qualcomm QCM6490 Octa Core chipset, a unique choice designed for IoT devices 4. This processor delivers performance comparable to a top-end phone from 2020 or a current mid-range device, with an average multi-core score of 2940 in Geekbench 5 tests 4. While it handles light gaming and intensive processes adequately, users may occasionally experience minor stutters or lag 4. This trade-off in performance allows Fairphone to offer extended software support, with at least eight years of updates promised 1.
Battery Life
The device features a 4200 mAh battery, which combines fast-charging capabilities with all-day power 1. Despite its relatively smaller capacity compared to some competitors, the Fairphone 5’s battery efficiency allows it to last through a day of standard use 4. The phone supports 30W charging, an improvement over its predecessor, though it still requires over an hour for a full charge 4. For users concerned about battery longevity, the device offers an Eco Charge mode and can maintain its capacity for over 1000 full cycles 1. Additionally, a battery-limiting option to 80% charge is available to extend overall battery lifespan 5.
Camera Capabilities
Main Camera Performance
The Fairphone 5 features a primary camera with a 50MP 1/1.56″ sensor, 1.0 μm pixels, and an f/1.9-aperture lens with autofocus and optical image stabilization 6. This main camera delivers decent performance in various lighting conditions. In bright light, it produces photos with good detail and well-controlled image noise, making it suitable for landscape photography 6. The camera generally achieves accurate target exposure and maintains a fairly accurate texture-noise trade-off 6.
However, the main camera’s performance has some limitations. Colors can appear slightly desaturated in photo mode, and there’s a strong white balance cast in low light conditions 6. The dynamic range is also somewhat limited, particularly in bright light videos 6. Users may notice sharpness differences between video frames in moving scenes and some camera shake in video recordings 6.
Ultrawide Lens
The Fairphone 5 is equipped with a 50MP 1/2.51″ ultrawide sensor, featuring 0.7 μm pixels and an f/2.2-aperture lens with autofocus 6. Despite the impressive specifications, the ultrawide camera’s performance is somewhat underwhelming. It barely outperforms the commonly used 8MP ultrawide shooters found in budget smartphones 7.
The ultrawide lens struggles with random soft spots, limited dynamic range, and overall lack of detail 7. Photos taken with this lens often appear lifeless with dull colors 7. In low light conditions without Night mode, the ultrawide camera’s performance significantly deteriorates, producing photos with limited dynamic range, excessive noise, and extreme fuzziness 7. However, the Night mode significantly improves image quality by balancing shadows and highlights and enhancing detail 7.
Selfie Camera
The Fairphone 5’s selfie camera performs well in adequate lighting conditions. It produces selfies with natural color, plenty of detail, sharpness, and accurate exposure 7. However, its performance noticeably declines in low light situations, resulting in softer images 7. The dynamic range of the selfie camera isn’t always wide enough to handle challenging lighting scenarios 7.
Overall, while the Fairphone 5’s camera system is functional, it may not match the performance of similarly priced competitors, especially in challenging lighting conditions or for users who prioritize camera quality in their smartphone choice 7.
Long-Term Value and Support
Extended Software Updates
The Fairphone 5 sets a new standard for long-term software support in the smartphone industry. With its unique Qualcomm QCM6490 Octa Core extended life chipset, Fairphone commits to providing at least eight years of software support and updates 3. This includes a guarantee of five major Android OS updates until 2031, starting from Android 13 3. The company aims to extend this support to a full decade, potentially making the Fairphone 5 a truly long-lasting device 8.
Repairability
Fairphone’s commitment to repairability is evident in the Fairphone 5’s design. The device features ten swappable spare parts, making DIY repairs accessible and straightforward 9. Users can easily replace individual components such as cameras, the USB-C port, and the loudspeaker 9. This modular approach, combined with a five-year warranty, significantly extends the phone’s lifespan 9.
Environmental Impact
The Fairphone 5 demonstrates a strong focus on reducing environmental impact. The company uses recycled materials in the phone’s construction and powers the assembly manufacturing with 100% renewable energy 3. Fairphone also invests in Gold Standard certified projects to offset remaining emissions from the device’s lifecycle 3. By encouraging longer device use through repairability and software support, Fairphone aims to reduce electronic waste and the overall carbon footprint associated with smartphone production and disposal 10.
