Fairphone 2 news: First modular smartphone with ethically sourced materials give users more control over their devices

Fairphone

In the competitive smartphone market today, a Dutch startup aims to stand out by releasing the first modular smartphone, the Fairphone 2.

The modular nature of the device allows users to have more control. Users can simply remove the back cover and explore the different layers of the smartphone. The parts are easily disassembled and users can repair the parts themselves. According to Fairphone's press release, this is to "encourage users to have a deeper relationship with their phones and take more responsibility for keeping them in working condition."

The Fairphone 2 also features materials that were ethically sourced. For example, the conflict-free tin and tantalum were sourced from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The Dutch social enterprise has established a worker welfare fund for its Chinese manufacturer. In Ghana, the company also set up an e-waste recycling program.

By purchasing a Fairphone 2, users not only support the cause but they also get a decent smartphone that is made from recyclable materials, easily repairable and has been designed to last longer.

The Fairphone 2 features a 5-inch Full HD LCD display with a 1080 x 1920 screen resolution and 446ppi pixel density. The display is protected by a Gorilla Glass 3 panel.

The smartphone is powered by a quad-core 2.26 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor, the Adreno 330 GPU and 2 GB of RAM. It has 32 GB of internal memory but can be expanded via microSD slot.

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It also features an 8 MP rear camera with a CMOS sensor and flash and a 2 MP front-facing camera with a CMOS sensor.

The device comes with Android 5.1 Lollipop OS out of the box and is backed up by a 2,420 mAh removable lithium-ion battery. The Fairphone 2 also comes with dual-SIM capability, 4G LTE, Wi-Fi 802.11, Bleutooth 4.0 and GPS connectivity.

The Fairphone 2 comes in five colors – Blue Matte, Blue Translucent, Transparent, Black Translucent and Black Matte.

Currently, the Fairphone 2 is only available in select Europe countries. The smartphone, which costs €529.38 (about $585), is now available for pre-order and is expected to ship out by December.

 

Source: Fairphone 2 news: First modular smartphone with ethically sourced materials give users more control over their devices