In brief: Fairphone, a brand mostly known for manufacturing sustainable phones, has recently introduced the Fairphone 4. Fairphone refreshed its hardware, bringing 5G connectivity and more processing power to the table. It's the company's most sustainable phone yet and the world's first electronic-waste-neutral phone.
Fairphone debuted in 2013 after a successful crowdfunding campaign. Since then, it launched two more handsets: the Fairphone 2 in 2015 and the Fairphone 3 in 2019. Like the other two, the latter has been recently discontinued, paving the way for the newly announced Fairphone 4.
Like the Fairphone 3, it will come with a five-year warranty, but that's about all it shares with its predecessor. The Fairphone 4 will run Android 11 and feature a Qualcomm Snapdragon 750G with 5G and dual-SIM support, a 6.3-inch FHD+ display and a 3,905mAh battery. Storage/memory configurations include a 128GB/6GB option, which is only available in gray, and a 256GB/8GB option in gray, green and speckled green.
The rear camera system includes a primary 48MP shooter with an f/1.6 aperture powered by a Sony IMX582 sensor and a secondary 48MP rear camera with an f/2.2 aperture. For selfies, there's a 25MP front-facing camera with an f/2.2 aperture using a Sony IMX576 sensor. The phone also supports Bluetooth 5.1 + LE, NFC, and Wi-Fi dual-band (2.4GHz + 5GHz), and has a USB-C port.
Much like the Fairphone 2 and 3, the new mobile device was also designed with repairability in mind, as you can see by its TCO scores. The 128GB snatched a 9.2 out of 10, while the 256GB model was slightly better, with 9.3 out of 10. Moreover, the phone has an IP54 rating, meaning it should withstand splashes and dust.
As expected, Fairphone 4 devices come in an eco-friendly packaging. A USB-C to USB-C Cable 2.0, dual-port 30W charger (EU) and USB-C to mini audio jack adapter (3.5mm) can be bought separately. The 128GB model costs €579 ($670), and the 256GB model goes for €649 ($751).