Fairphone 3

Summary

The Fairphone 3 and 3+ are touchscreen-based smartphones made by Fairphone.[7][8] The phone has a modular, repairable design[9] and is "constructed out of responsibly-sourced, conflict-free, and recycled materials where possible".[10] It went on sale on 3 September 2019.[11] It comes with Android 9 "Pie"[12] installed.

Fairphone 3 & Fairphone 3+
BrandFairphone
First released3 September 2019; 4 years ago (2019-09-03)
PredecessorFairphone 2
SuccessorFairphone 4[1]
TypeSmartphone
Form factorSlate
Dimensions158 mm (6.2 in) H
71.8 mm (2.83 in) W
9.89 mm (0.389 in) D
Mass189 g (6.7 oz)
Operating system
System-on-chipQualcomm Snapdragon 632
CPU4 + 4 cores (1.8 GHz Kryo 250 Gold + 1.8 GHz Kryo 250 Silver)
GPUQualcomm Adreno 506
Memory4 GB RAM
Storage64 GB
Removable storagemicroSD
Battery3060 / 3000mAh Li-ion
Display5.65 in (144 mm) diagonal IPS LCD 1080×2160 px FullHD+ 427 ppi
Rear cameraFP3: 12 MP ƒ/1.8 Sony IMX363 Exmor CMOS sensor[3] with dual-LED flash
FP3+: 48 MP (12 MP effective output) ƒ/1.79 Samsung ISOCELL GM1 CMOS sensor (Fairphone 3+)[4] with dual-tone LED flash[5]
Front camera8 MP (ƒ/2) (Fairphone 3) / 16 MP (ƒ/2) (Fairphone 3+)
Connectivity2G (GSM/GPRS/EDGE): 850/900/1,800/1,900 MHz
3G (HSPA+): 800/850/900/1700/1900/2100 MHz
LTE
Wi-Fi: 2.4/5.0 GHz, 802.11a/b/g/n/ac
Bluetooth: 5.0 LE
Wi-Fi Hotspot
USB-C with support for USB OTG
OtherAccelerometer, gyrometer, digital compass, proximity sensor, ambient light sensor, dual SIM
SARHead:
FP3: 0.388 W/kg
FP3+ 0.411 W/kg
Body:
FP3 & FP3+: 1.405 W/kg
Limb:
FP3 & FP3+: 2.537 W/kg
Websitewww.fairphone.com
ReferencesSpecification of FP3[6]

The phone has a FullHD+ screen (2160 × 1080 pixels) with Gorilla Glass, 12 MP rear camera, 3,000 mAh battery, 64 GB storage with microSD, Qualcomm Snapdragon 632 processor, 4 GB RAM, 8 MP front camera (16 MP on Fairphone 3+), NFC and dual SIM.[11] At launch the Fairphone 3 retailed at £408.[11]

The Fairphone 3+, launched in August 2020, has upgraded front and rear cameras and speaker modules. The camera modules are compatible with the FP3. However, the improved audio primarily comes from the new core module in the FP3+ and is not upgradable as this is IMEI related.

The Fairphone 3+ shipped with Android 10 and an increase in the amount of recycled plastic it contains, now 40%.[13]

Ethical manufacturing and sustainable materials edit

Fairphone 3 "has been manufactured in a factory that pays the local living wage".[11] "The tin and tungsten used in its construction is conflict free, the gold is Fairtrade, and the copper and plastics are recycled."[10]

Modular design edit

 
The individual modules in an opened Fairphone 3

The phone's modular design is constructed out of seven modules, making it easier to repair than most smartphones.[10][14][15] The rear of the phone can be removed without using tools.[14] Having removed the rear, the battery can be lifted out and replaced.[10][14] Using a regular Phillips #00 screwdriver, the display is easily removed, and the modules are held in using only press fit sockets.[14] The motherboard, containing the system on a chip, RAM and storage, can also be easily removed. Still, the motherboard's individual components can not be easily replaced.[14]

Reception edit

Sophie Charara, writing in Wired, said that the phone's technical specification is "almost identical to the Moto G7, our current recommendation for the best budget phone." She considered it "important" that "the premium for choosing an ethical phone had dropped to below £200" "for the first time".[11]

iFixit gave it a 10 out of 10 repairability score; 10 is easiest to repair.[16]

Fairphone 3+ edit

The Fairphone 3+ was launched in August 2020.[17][18] It has upgraded front and rear cameras, improved audio, an increase in the amount of recycled plastic it contains (40% rather than 9%) and Android 10.[17] The rear camera has a larger sensor, intelligent scene detection, and a higher dynamic range.[19] The front camera has a bigger sensor and a higher dynamic range.[20] The new cameras and speaker are alternatively available as modules that can be swapped in the original Fairphone 3.[17]

The audio improvements cannot be achieved purely by a speaker module upgrade. The speaker module is only for the rear/side speaker, and output is only improved if the new core module for the FP3+ is used.[21]

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ Charara, Sophie (30 September 2021). "The Fairphone 4 could teach Apple a thing or two". Wired UK. Retrieved 30 September 2021.
  2. ^ Amadeo, Ron (10 July 2023). "Fairphone 3 gets seven years of updates, besting every other Android OEM". Ars Technica. Retrieved 27 August 2023.
  3. ^ "Fairphone 3 hands-on: Modular, repairable, five years of support. What gives?". Android Authority. 12 September 2019. Retrieved 11 October 2019.
  4. ^ "Fairphone's new flagship, the 3+, costs just €70 as a modular upgrade". TechCrunch. Retrieved 6 September 2020.[permanent dead link]
  5. ^ "Fairphone 3+ hands-on review". GSMArena.com. Retrieved 6 September 2020.
  6. ^ "Fairphone 3". Fairphone. Archived from the original on 2 September 2020. Retrieved 11 October 2019.
  7. ^ Lomas, Natasha (8 September 2019). "Fairphone 3 is a normal smartphone with ethical shine". Retrieved 11 October 2019.[permanent dead link]
  8. ^ Cooper, Daniel (27 August 2019). "Fairphone 3 is the 'ethical' smartphone you might actually buy". Engadget. Retrieved 11 October 2019.
  9. ^ Speed, Richard (11 September 2019). "Fairphone 3 stripped to the modular essentials: Glue? What glue?". The Register. Retrieved 11 October 2019.
  10. ^ a b c d Porter, Jon (27 August 2019). "Fairphone updates its ethical smartphone for 2019". The Verge. Retrieved 11 October 2019.
  11. ^ a b c d e Charara, Sophie (27 August 2019). "The Fairphone 3 has 2019 smartphone specs". Wired UK. ISSN 1357-0978. Retrieved 11 October 2019 – via www.wired.co.uk.
  12. ^ Gibbs, Samuel (18 September 2019). "Fairphone 3 review: the most ethical and repairable phone you can buy". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 11 October 2019 – via www.theguardian.com.
  13. ^ "Fairphone 3+ review: ethical smartphone gets camera upgrades". the Guardian. 31 August 2020. Retrieved 16 June 2022.
  14. ^ a b c d e Anderson, Tim (27 August 2019). "Want an ethical smartphone? Fairphone 3 is on the way – but tiny market share suggests few care". www.theregister.co.uk. Retrieved 11 October 2019.
  15. ^ "Is the Fairphone 3 the most sustainable smartphone on the market?". Evening Standard. 27 August 2019. Retrieved 11 October 2019.
  16. ^ Humphries, Matthew (11 September 2019). "iFixit Awards Fairphone 3 a Perfect 10 for Repairability". PCMag UK. Retrieved 27 August 2020.
  17. ^ a b c "Fairphone 3+ review: ethical smartphone gets camera upgrades". The Guardian. 31 August 2020. Retrieved 6 September 2020.
  18. ^ "Fairphone updates its ethical, modular phone with new cameras". Engadget. Retrieved 6 September 2020.
  19. ^ "Fairphone 3 Camera+ Module (48MP)". Fairphone. Archived from the original on 1 September 2020. Retrieved 6 September 2020.
  20. ^ "Fairphone 3 Top+ Module (16MP)". Fairphone. Archived from the original on 1 September 2020. Retrieved 6 September 2020.
  21. ^ "Audio "enhancements" for FP3+". 29 November 2020.

External links edit

  • Official website
  • Fairphone 3 Teardown by iFixit