HOW IT’S DONE
Fairphone 3
“Good things come in threes,” the Dutch social enterprise must have thought when planning the Fairphone 3, its newest ethically made mobile device, sporting a modular and repairable design.
MAJOR TECH SPECS
5.65-inch IPS display with
■ 1080x2160 resolution (427 ppi) Qualcomm Snapdragon 632 SoC
■ 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage
■ 12MP f/1.8 rear camera and frontfacing
■ 8MP f/2.0 camera 3,060mAh battery
■ Fingerprint sensor, headphone jack,
■ and IP54 rating
KEY FINDINGS
We start by removing the back cover
■ – no tools needed. Compared to the bumper-like casing of the Fairphone 2 – as well as the two-piece “slim” version that replaced it midway through the product cycle – this is definitely an improvement. If you liked the added protection offered by the bumper, no worries – it’s included in the box.
Removing the battery is also easy as
■ Android 9 – it lifts out using the notch at the bottom. With recessed contacts and sturdier plastic casing,
it’s a well-protected throwback we’re happy to see. At 11.781Wh (3,060mAh at 3.85V), this juice box is not the biggest around, but it should get you through the day – and if it doesn’t, you can carry a spare and swap it out. It beats the Google Pixel 3a in capacity (11.55Wh) but can’t quite touch the iPhone Xs Max (12.08Wh), let alone the Shift 6m (16.3Wh). The underside of the battery bears an encouraging message: “Well done. You’re what progress looks like.” Speaking of which, it’s time to make some more teardown progress. Onward! ■ Fairphone decided to forgo the nifty display lock mechanism from the previous iteration, opting for standard Phillips #00 screws instead. There’s even a tiny screwdriver provided. With the screws gone, we unsnap the display from the frame – revealing the same pogo pin connector plus breakout board configuration seen in the Fairphone 2. Note the map of the Democratic Republic of Congo here, illustrating the conflict-free sourcing of minerals such as tantalum, tin, tungsten, and gold. ■ The Fairphone 3 comes with a family of modules: top module, camera
module, and bottom module, much like in the Fairphone 2. The loudspeaker now gets its own closed module (as opposed to being part of the bottom module), and connects to the rear of the bottom module. If you hope to upgrade your Fairphone 2 with these modules, it’s bad news: Modules and their inner parts are not compatible. But their housings are said to be produced from 50 percent recycled polycarbonate, so there’s some reuse. Repairability Score: 10 out of 10 (10
■ is easiest to repair). Key components like the battery and screen have been prioritised in the design and are accessible either without tools or with a regular Phillips screwdriver. Visual cues inside the phone help with disassembling and replacing its parts and modules. Replacing complete modules is very easy. Going for their internal parts is also possible and requires a Torx screwdriver. Replacement guides and spare parts are available via the manufacturer’s website. Most components inside the modules are individually replaceable, although some are soldered on.