Fairphone 6 Teardown: Proof Phones Don’t Have to Be Disposable
www.ifixit.com
In a world full of glued-together gadgets designed for obsolescence, the Fairphone 6 earns a well-deserved 10 out of 10 on our repairability scale.

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Remember when you could pop open a phone, swap the battery, and keep going? Fairphone remembers. Their latest release, the Fairphone 6, feels like a nostalgic nod to sanity, with plenty of modern upgrades.

This is a phone that puts people and planet before profits. Sure, it doesn’t have the camera chops to take on a flagship, and USB-2 feels a bit retro in 2025, but what it lacks in bragging rights, it makes up for in staying power.

  • kata1yst@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
    17·
    17 days ago

    We designed The Fairphone (Gen. 6) to last as long as possible, making it robust and modular to enable easy repairs, customization, and upgrades.

    We want to empower users to take ownership of their products by offering them easy options for maintenance and repairs. How long it lasts will also depend on the user and on how they treat their phone. But to make it as easy as possible, we have created an ecosystem that supports long-lasting use, first-hand or second-hand. We offer:

    • Reasonably priced spare parts and repair tutorials
    • Regular software platform updates (latest Android software) and security updates 5-year warranty (to be activated via fairphone.com/warranty)
    • Access to source code and open source development encouraged Active reminders to perform regular maintenance, making sure the phone remains in good state for as long as possible
    • Financial rewards via the “Keep Club” loyalty program for every time a repair is performed and for every year a phone is kept in use

    What are the plans for Android and security updates with The Fairphone (Gen. 6)?

    We are planning to provide at least Android 16 to Android 22, so seven years of Android upgrades from launch and one extra year of security updates only, so eight years of software support in total!

    https://support.fairphone.com/hc/en-us/articles/24463093338898-The-Fairphone-Gen-6-FAQ

    • tyler@programming.devEnglish
      7·
      17 days ago

      What’s the water resistance? That’s pretty vital to me, I dinghy sail and go in the water very often.

      • kata1yst@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
        7·
        17 days ago

        IP 55

        Personally I just use a cheap waterproof bag that lets me touch the screen through it. Also floats just in case lol.

        • tyler@programming.devEnglish
          1·
          16 days ago

          Yeah the waterproof bags don’t work very well in my experience. I use them on ocean stuff, but for dinghy sailing I need to be able to use the touchscreen quickly and effectively which isn’t really possible with the bags. I even have a pretty nice bag.

          • kata1yst@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
            2·
            16 days ago

            Fair. I do kayak and canoe in freshwater, don’t have much saltwater experience. For that I’ve never needed anything the bag didn’t get me.