This Smartphone is Built Different...

The Fairphone 4 is the most modular, sustainable phone in the world.
The FairPhone: www.fairphone.com/en/
Another way to save the planet #teamseas: teamseas.org
MKBHD Merch: shop.MKBHD.com
Tech I'm using right now: www.amazon.com/shop/MKBHD
Intro Track: youtube/com/20syl
Playlist of MKBHD Intro music: goo.gl/B3AWV5
Phone provided by Fairphone for video.
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/ mkbhd
/ mkbhd
/ mkbhd

[@ShortHax]

“Remember, swapping out your battery is always faster than charging"

[@Alex-lp6bg]

Unless Apple glued it in place. Then you would have to get out your hair dryer.

[@tochimclaren]

8 years ago this was normal.

[@nightshark1156]

xD 360 yy no scope battery reload

[@jonathanratliff1501]

And remember, no prisoners

[@bear2507]

@@Alex-lp6bg why are you talking about apple like if they are the only ones that are doing it?

[@gnatsson1629]

Love that you're giving these sustainability companies the shine they deserve

[@khaledaboizzat]

Fair phone is actually a Bad company for sustainability as repair shops asked for mainboard schematics to fix the phone and they refused to give them , so this phone is acually less fixable than Iphones that we have schematics for ... its just matrketing

[@ahyaan2552]

@@khaledaboizzat heh?

[@CameronLaudick]

Agreed!

[@SrikarMaddula]

@@khaledaboizzat it's not like the iPhone schematics were given by Apple. People figured them out or got them kinda illegally.

[@linklink999999]

@@khaledaboizzat They said its not possible to give it aways because they dont make them. They are a small Company they cant do the schematics themselfs. So the Company who makes them doesnt want to share it. But i am sure if they get bigger they will do them self.

[@lifedisconnected3549]

Crazy how removable battery feels like a new thing

[@temp-payday7641]

The best privacy feature of all time

[@aleksimoose]

@@temp-payday7641 Yes and EU is going to force phone companies to make phones with removable batteries in 2027

[@linn3014]

Great review! I watched it on my Fairphone 3. I bought it two years ago. Last year, I installed an upgraded camera. Just a couple of weeks ago, I replaced my damages usb-c port. Looking forward to at least 3 more years of using this phone. Recycling your old devices is a great idea, but also remember that the most sustainable phone you can use is the one you already own. So don't buy the latest if your current phone will do and make an effort to keep your current phone running smoothly. Finally, one thing that wasn't mentioned in the video is that these phones are assembled in Chinese factories, but that Fairphone ensures fair wages and working conditions for factory workers. Cheers everyone!

[@Ari-fb5bn]

So you can upgrade the camera? They offer better new cameras eventually on their website?

[@alexhnd552]

will upgrade from FP3 to FP4 as soon as iodé is ready to put them in their shop!

[@linn3014]

@@alexhnd552 but why? The whole point is to use the same phone longer. That's why it's repairable and it keeps getting software and security updates. That's why most customers choose to buy it. To buy the latest model as soon as it comes out completely defeats the purpose of the phone! I am aiming for at least 5 years on the FP3, more if I can.

[@linn3014]

@@Ari-fb5bn well, I cannot promise they will do that again for the FP4, but yes, you can upgrade the camera on the FP3. When they released the upgrade, they also released the FP3+, so new customers can buy the upgraded phone in one go.

[@alexhnd552]

@@linn3014 Yes you are right .. I wil lend the fp3 to a family member but I guess she will throw her phone out then. I will twice ;)

[@ArcticWolfOfficial]

Its nice to see that the whole “modular” idea is coming back in a proper way.

[@frankandroidz9365]

Never should have gone away. We have reviewers who worship glass, slim phones, how it feels in the hand, instead of talking about repairability, replaceability of battery, and practicality / convenience to consumers. Most reviewers are guilty of the trend of phones with non-replaceable / non-repairable batteries.

[@mikusion]

Idea is great - yeah, but what about the insulation ? "no glue" - doesn't that mean it caches the moisture ? drowned in the bathtub is the most likely warranty denial

[@dsnunes]

@@mikusion Galaxy S5 was submersible and had a removable back cover. It is possible, but definitely more of a "accident proof" than a "take pictures underwater" thing.

[@diddykong7354]

failed once, whats different

[@protocetid]

@@frankandroidz9365 that’s because reviewers (and specially “influencers”) are pressured to say nice things about what they get from corporations or else they’ll stop getting free products

[@nicoh848]

The fair phone is most definitely “pushing the limits” and “actually unique”. It is an important step to a better future. They’re setting the bar.

[@azexy21]

I agree with but sadly it's so good to be true, there is no such thing as nice or saint company it's A SCAM the parts are x3 times their price the phone itself is x3 times it's price. 20€ for a plastic back cover even the galaxy s21 glass back cost less. for LCD 80€ ?? IN MY LIFE and I repaired phones for 15 years now I never seen an LCD go over 35€ and this one should cost 19€ at best even super Amoled for galaxy A and M series cost less I think they offer to recycle your old phone so they can sell it on ebay XD

[@angleisthebest]

@@azexy21 agree 100%. There's already been a much better modular phone out that was released 5 years ago -- it's called an LG V20 and you can get it for under $100

[@franzhornig2277]

@@azexy21 I'm pretty sure that the prices are due to the sources they get their materials from.

[@lool12366]

@@azexy21 4x markup seems very reasonable for sustainable sourcing imo.

[@Gran69]

That is not how you use quotations.

[@ihavekalashnikovyoudomath9275]

My favorite part of the Fairphone is the fact you can replace the display and the USB C. Those two parts are always the first to go, especially the display if you're careless I'd love to see a big case for the phone to make it more rugged and eliminate it's weakness of low water resistance. I don't mind cases, I actually like thicker phones because I feel like I can grip it better. So I see it as an absolute win. I'm definitely switching when my current phone dies

[@rajvinder89]

It takes smaller companies to do something ambitious like this, hopefully at some point in the future the entire industry goes in this direction.

[@TheGroovyGuitarDude]

Really groovy that there is a company offering this kind of repairability on a phone like this. Not for everybody, some people won't want to do their own repairs anyways, but it is past time for us to have the choice.

[@jobansand]

I'm not really interested in repair, but I do want a phone where if a battery dies and doesn't charge anymore, it's not the end of the world. Have a Pixel 2 atm, it turns off all the time- even at 70% battery!! I don't care if the Pixel 6 phone can turn things into gold, never getting another one.

[@konishiwoi]

If one doesn’t want to repair such phone and I’m sorry full offense, well they’re just pathetic. A modern iPhone or Samsung or whatever I get it. But this ? Dum dum

[@seeibe]

"repairing" this phone is on the same level as swapping the batteries in a GameBoy. But yeah, I guess even such basic inconveniences are too much for the average user these days. Need an excuse to buy a new phone every few years I guess.

[@stoob2157]

@@konishiwoi honestly even iPhones are insanely easy to physically repair, it's just that the parts are paired to the phone for arbitrary reasons. They're probably the easiest phones to repair otherwise, though.

[@altruex]

Foreal. I also love you can DIY save on repair. And also change upgrade etc. i love that you can do it yourself and feel like a total nerd 😂 I hate how tech takes that option out

[@xDaTrooper70x]

Regardless of the phone’s downsides, I have to give huge praises to Fairphone for creating a product that is not only sustainable and better for the environment, but a product that gives more power to the consumer. I hope other big tech companies take notice.

[@seeibe]

Unless we actually stop buying their phones, there's unfortunately not much reason for other companies to take notice. And in this particular case the issue is that instead of getting a FairPhone, you could get an equivalent old, used phone for a much lower price, which would be even better for the environment. So while I applaud them for what they're trying to do, I don't see it as something that could really shake up the market at this point in time.

[@mufsinpp1699]

@Richard Riley Yeah when you compare a small company that is trying to make a change against Giants like Google, Apple, BBK, and Samsung. Come on dude, how's that fair?! at least learn to appreciate good things. They are putting some effort to bring change. Not everyone needs high end specs, performance, and have the money to change their phones every year.

[@sh0me14]

Praises won't pay their bills...

[@Radde1Radde]

@@sh0me14 That's why my Fairphone is on the way. Can't wait because the old phone is dying.

[@ChristianAntley]

Really glad to see this phone on the channel! Thanks for not being a cynic about it, you've always supported the right causes and I have mad respect

[@Sagar13iffy]

I really hope this thing catches up! And heartfelt thanks to MKBHD for pledging to include sustainability for all phone reviews going fwd. This is a big deal, man! Thanks for doing your part

[@Ludwighaffen1]

Unfortunately, it seems that we could remind Marques of this pledge for sustainability.

[@FloresdorfGaming]

Right to repair: I see this as an absolute win!

[@doudymac]

I hope this catches on. Imagine wanting a better camera and buying an after market top notch camera module.

[@Porezlol]

I would love that as well but nowadays it is more about the software behind the camera unfortunately. Hopefully it will be on point.

[@Porezlol]

@@Fairphone That sounds fun :)

[@febcortes5878]

@@Fairphone made me do a double take, really hope I can see your phones here in the Philippines in the future, hopefully!!

[@Q_QQ_Q]

@@Fairphone no way ? is it possible ? are old fairphone chipset upgradable now ?

[@pipapo3030]

Fairphone already offered exactly this! Not top notch of course but for the Fairphone 3 they released an upgraded camera after a while :)

[@NPRixix]

Always quality content by Marques. I love his honesty and how he makes videos considering other perspectives than just silicon valley's definition of progress.

[@DelkorYT]

My Samsung Note 3 is still going strong (thanks to Lineage OS) but when it eventually breaks the Fairphone (probably version 5 or 6) will be one of the top options. I do not need the best specs in a phone (tbh phone-hardware hasn't really improved that much after the Note 3 anyway) but I value ecological, open source and repairability factors quite highly

[@tinetannies4637]

Perhaps the biggest question for Fairphone that wasn't addressed here is if the motherboard can be exchanged for a new one with a faster chip. That would REALLY make this an upgrade-able phone.

[@malekagribi6284]

fr if after 3 or 4 year they start to make better motherboard so you can only change that and maybe even a display they could become a part seller instead of a phone seller

[@jackflap]

No, none of the parts are upgrade-able, only replaceable which means you have to buy the same spec.. it extends the life of old phones a bit, but when a new fairphone comes out you'll have to recycle the old and upgrade totally

[@tinetannies4637]

@@jackflap Thanks. And that's too bad. For well maintained phones that aren't accidentally damaged during their lives, the first thing that usually forces replacement are degraded batteries. Fairphone ticks this box. But the second and third things that gradually force replacement are slower older chips and unsupported older operating system versions. Then comes the camera. At this point, barring some significant qualitative change like folding displays, a current model high refresh, high pixel OLED display will serve people indefinitely. Unfortunate that Fairphone went 80% of the way to make an environmentally friendly phone but didn't go the final 20%.

[@zhaan]

@@tinetannies4637 In some of the older fairphone models they have released new cameras so that you could upgrade it after a few years. Pretty cool in my opinion :)

[@lenny7828]

@@jackflap Not true. There is not an upgrade yet. But as in previous generations there will be some coming. But probably minor ones.

[@Dr.Hiccup]

I think the best use of this phone would be as a company phone. Companies can easily pay for small damages and repair the parts that are needed while supplying their employees with a phone for work. Especially with the 5 year promise of supplying parts, this can go a long way

[@nomsterdude]

Agreed

[@ichtozavuzovsky8370]

For sure.

[@Lumcoin]

perfect use case

[@anguyen2808]

I Agree, this would be great as a first phone for The Home Depot

[@Michael-ws8pc]

From 1:53 you can see the map of this richest country... my country (DR Congo 🇨🇩) from where come the most important and needed ore (Coltan) to built phones. And this ore became the principal reason of instability (war and kids working and being used to get that ore for cent$) in a part of my country. Congrats to the manufacturer for remembering the country

[@MlueBonday]

Awesome video again Marques! I really liked the part where you talked about sustainability in phones generally. Would love to see a complete video just on sustainability and tech overall. I’m curious what is your opinion about it, and also I think that you being such an influential and famous youtuber, you could make people think at least a bit before they buy the newest cutting edge “mobile workstation” for scrolling Facebook and emails. Thanks for bringing us these superb videos, keep up the good work:)

[@cpthornman]

A breath of fresh air for sure. A phone that is pro-consumer. Imagine that.

[@jazzinthevoid]

@@robierahg17 yeah, but when normal phones brake, they go to the trash. the electronic garbage that produces is a lot. with this, you prevent throwing out your phone when a small component brakes. I like this idea. The thing is, it will never reach the mass consumers.

[@MrGamelover23]

@Joe they legally aren't just another company, their company but a social purpose company which is a completely different legal standing meaning they're a company on a mission.

[@BlazertronGames]

I really hope phones like this catch on.

[@N3c777]

@@robierahg17 has no standout features? The whole concept behind it is a standout feature. I honestly think with a large enough backing you could minimize the problems and get it fairly close to a regular phone. Give it time

[@jeffgayzose8129]

@@jazzinthevoid that's where refurbishing comes in.

[@Hallden_]

Anyone else used the fairphone 1 or 2? This one on the other hand looks like it might be near competetive, which is actually really good! I really like the idea behind fairphone, I hope they’ll get to a point of low range competetiveness. If nothing else it might move the needle for other companies to start making fair’er phones

[@HShango]

If they can get to a level of competiteveness to Xiaomi and co then yes they will do extremely well

[@Stellar-Cowboy]

Oh hi there, billion dollar startup owner

[@thombrown]

I had a Fairphone 1, which was quite a bit less capable than other models at the time, but this one looks much better. I'm sure it can't compete on specs, but it looks like a decent phone. I wish I had got one now rather than upgrading to the phone I have now.

[@JonoConstantini]

I had a Fairphone 1. It was terrible to use (cellular coverage dropped randomly when walking while talking…), but I was proud to be one of the first 100 people to back the project. And kudos to how they‘ve developed over the years!

[@thombrown]

@Joe You're assuming that sustainability and repairability aren't anyone's priorities. Not everyone has big demands from phone tech.

[@israelpa123456789]

thanks a lot to give a spot light about repairability for your reviews... i hope that another youtubers catch this message and go more further reviewing another things like eletric cars, computers and more stuff that need to be changed

[@JohnSmith-kf1fc]

Thank you for this! I absolutely love the fairphone and will get one soon

[@morekindnessnow9231]

Watching this on my Fairphone. Delighted with it. The repairability combined with the ethical production line made it an easy choice for me

[@chartedtravel1776]

Thank you so much for keeping us safe. Like previously was said we don’t have a choice anymore.

[@plantmama7442]

Yayyy!!

[@bluehabs]

apart from env, the repairability is the greatest point, my pixel battery dead month ago and I can't literally swap it because I can't even open the case ended up send it over to some repair shop just for changing the battery. and now, it's kinda broke again (freezing) and I need to wait the battery drained out just to restart it while if the battery can easily accessed, I just need to remove battery to force shutdown. too bad it's still not available here

[@KJ4EZJ]

How is the screen?

[@Marcelg13]

@@chartedtravel1776 XD

[@spacevspitch4028]

Also, if enough people get into the value of something like this, the sales increase, and the business grows, surely they could eventually compete on the level of other flagship phones.

[@SimonLYW]

I’m not 100% certain, but I seem to remember when project Ara was a thing, reading that the issue was always performance. An integrated design would always out perform a modular one.

[@dubuvore]

Potentially, but you could imagine some cases where what is good for the customer (repairability, for example) is bad for the business and its investors (inability to charge high margins on repairs, less recurring revenue on sales of new models, less participation in the secondary market). Some companies are able to raise capital despite these headwinds and develop their product to catch up to or exceed legacy flagships (e.g., Tesla) while others fail to get customers to value ancillary benefits to get the capital they need to grow and develop their product. Timing and consumer trends matter to form a view on whether they'll be able to "get there".

[@FantasticGamingHighlights]

Not really a value for money phone so nah not the word to use with this phone

[@butchfajardo8832]

Love it! Just like Framework laptop!! Thanks for featuring this!!

[@thegailen]

So glad you covered this phone. I've been wanting to change to this phone for years.

[@MattGouldphotography]

This is actually a huge step. So happy to hear mkbhd will be sinning a light on sustainability as an aspect of reviews moving forward. Definitely my next phone. A small drop in specs for the price is nothing in terms of what you get in return.

[@EPhotoAlbum]

Well said. Thanks. I'm going to recycle all my old phones. Do you recommend a place to turn them in?

[@puckpuck18]

This is a huge step forward. Either way, if this company sells a million or two units of the phone. They'd probably change into the corporate greedy smartphone companies. I hope not But, this phone comes with a 5 years of warranty. This is huge for any company

[@whirlwind872]

​@@puckpuck18 "corporate greedy smartphone companies" Lol, the sole purpose of EVERY company is to make money. They're already a corporate greedy smartphone company. If Fairphone was doing this purely out of the goodness of their hearts, they'd be a non-profit organization. But they're not doing it out of the goodness of their hearts. They're doing it to make money. Because they've identified a niche role in the smartphone where they're not directly competing with Samsung or Apple, or really anyone at all for that matter. And they went all-in, gambling that people would see them as the moral and righteous nature-loving "good" company. Their survival depends upon the public not thinking of them as just another samsung or apple. They have to be the "good guys" in order for their company to survive. As you could see in the video, the actual specs and shape of the phone are hugely inferior to the pixel 6. And yet, the fairphone and the pixel 6 are the same price. The only reason anyone would buy the fairphone is because of their sense of morals and values. They want to support the "good" company, fuck google.

[@PSYCHOV3N0M]

@@whirlwind872 THIS^^^^^

[@Tanoshe]

@@whirlwind872 your point does stand, but how you think they gonna operate a factory supposing they make very little money?

[@JNSStudios2]

I’ve been wondering why phones didn’t have user-replaceable modular components like this for years. The fact that this exists is absolutely incredible.

[@raskal5988]

So we'd spend money on another phone. Same case I find myself in lol hopefully not anymore!

[@typehere6689]

PCs are like that. It would be nice for phones to be like that too. Granted, I hold on to things until not even modernization can keep them viable, but OK.

[@Billkelly5]

There is a reason no one builds modular phones, it’s because no one will buy them, just get apple care

[@Akhil-gd7lp]

Google had Project Ara for thaat but later dumped it, not sure if they thought it won't be easy or it won't let them earn much.

[@farazsworkshop]

$$$

[@j.s1805]

Love the concept. This is good for the consumer. Like MKB said they are at the very least making bigger companies take note.

[@michael49789]

Hello Marques, This video is further proof that you report fairly and seriously! Thank you very much for your very good work! I've had my Fairphone 4 since 10 December and I'm very happy with it, even though I've been using iPhone Top models for years. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you Michael from Germany

[@TwinShards]

I really want this company to grow large enough that they can start building their company in Canada or the US. If i have the budget for a Fairphone when the phone i'm using die, it's what i'll go for.

[@token3462]

In US they have Freedom phone 😑

[@matthias4]

Start saving money now, this way you don't have an excuse when the time comes. :) 20-30$/month is easier than 650$ at once.

[@jonathanodude6660]

why do they need to build in north america? do they not ship to the US rn?

[@danisaksson3214]

Same. Technology can keep speeding away for whatever reason, but I don't actually need my devices to be penis extensions. The hardware will come regardless if we give it time, even with sustainable practices, so I just find myself wanting to put more and more of my money where my mouth is. I'm living at minimum wage and have a ton of debt to clear, but once I get those things out of the way this will be the company I vouch for. For now I buy my phones second-hand anyway. Also, I've read Fairphone's Glassdoor reviews, and though there seem to be issues here and there it's nothing I haven't seen about other companies. For reference on what I mean, I don't count "I can't earn enough to buy a villa by making it to the top of the foodchain" as a good point when we clearly need to change how we live.

[@OnlyDeji]

Wow, finally glad to see sustainability taking a step into the tech world. Other manufacturer mention things like reduction in packaging material, or weight of material, or missing components in the phone. But to see a company showing of the modularity of their phone and its components, is pretty fantastic.

[@jasnoorsingh9194]

fairphone + apple= best sustainable phone 0-0 and best performance

[@SupremeLordGeek]

@@jasnoorsingh9194 but apple will never do it, not to mention that the software is the worst part of their products.

[@ThiefJack]

@@SupremeLordGeek people buy iPhones just to avoid android and use iOS

[@lagrafinucio]

And ethical production practices. If anyone didn't know, Fairphone 4 is apparently made from vegan materials as well.

[@jpdenat1]

Well done : making an effort towards sustainability ! Good review and good message !

[@saula4668]

Awesome review. Loved the point about how cutting edge technology is usually the contrary of sustainability. Very true. I am considering this phone for my next purchase.

[@BenSullinsOfficial]

Love it! Been trying to get one of these for a couple years now. Wish they would sell them here :(

[@yupickmyusername]

I love it but realistically in the current way of how society is, this business model wouldn’t make them go big and comparable to the big company, its a noble cause but unfortunately it wouldn’t go anywhere. Im sad too cause i love this concept

[@bertiecartwright824]

Love your videos!!

[@pipapo3030]

Just bought mine and can’t wait 😻

[@ChrisDecrease]

@@yupickmyusername, they don't need to be big to be successful or accomplish their goal.

[@yupickmyusername]

@@ChrisDecrease True, but they cant reach more customer which is sad

[@rishipranavramakrishnan689]

If the Fairphone company with a few dozen million dollars in R&D can make something like this, it is totally possible for the giants at Apple, Google and Samsung to definitely do better in terms of specs and reliability. Phones are at the point now where we don't need more from them. So, focusing on making parts repairable is a key thing we could be focusing. What they don't realise is that people want to reinvest in the stuff they already own, people will come back for broken parts and upgrades over time and even if the reliability isn't perfect, it ultimately would result in them making more money from the extra parts sales anyway, and economies of scale would lower the cost of each part, making the phones totally marketable.

[@Caligiant]

Google tried something like this years ago... As usual ended up a dead project

[@YSPDJapan]

The problem is that tens of people with advanced degrees already did the math and showed that this would make them less money or it would lead to lower purchases. So that's why they dont do it. Companies only factor in money and sustained income. Thats why Apple always gives shit incremental updates; they're dragging out the upgrades so there's always improvement. By making things repairable, it reduces new phone purchases; people aren't going to buy a phone based on how easily they can repair it. They buy based on quality, status, performance, and familiarity, which is why so many people who know nothing about electronics buy iPhones.

[@hman6159]

@@YSPDJapan best said, fair from both sides and I’m satisfied after having to listen to dumb iPhone and Samsung fanboys

[@MrSharp-yg1wb]

@@hman6159 Samsung fanboys?)))

[@PapiChulo1224]

companies will never sacrifice profit for sustainability. investors would also go nuts lmao

[@AnonNameless]

This would be the perfect gift for the older generation who don't really care about gaming or the greatest performance, but rather more about being able to call and text friends and family, especially being able to swap out parts, it'd last many years.

[@lpnp9477]

Or even young people who aren't shitheads

[@eliwhitehead-zimmers7296]

awesome video, I'm really excited to see the sustainability segments in new videos!

[@aurelioldc]

Kudos for the effort! And I'd just add: we do NEED to recycle, but also KEEP our devices for as long as possible. The most sustainable phone is the one you don't need to produce!

[@bengt_axle]

Absolutely! I personally don’t replace my computer more frequently than seven years. This time it will be 10 years because of the pandemic. Wiping your device clean every 2 years or so will also keep it running well.

[@retrocomputing]

Also buy used

[@sogwatchman]

"Do you have a phone sitting in a drawer?" Says the man with a cabinet absolutely filled with cell phones.

[@ankeshnand]

LMFAO

[@Deinobi]

Plus a bomb

[@Mr.DISRESPECT]

This comment has to be pinned. Good one.

[@JackieWelles]

I mean he is kind of exception because his content is based about tech and especially phones new or old. Time from time he uses old phones for his videos so don't expect him to giveaway those phones or recycle. You wouldn't say "damn this Museum is so not eco friendly, they have so much old tech lying around".

[@manas4288]

To be fair someone has to keep collecting phones for legacy and educational purposes. You wouldn't be able to see a bomb if it never existed in his drawer.

[@g00gle5ucks5]

Loving it. Been looking for a phone like this for several decades now. Would be nice with upgradeable parts though. 5 years of parts is relatively short as well.

[@justjohn7529]

Would appreciate a repairability and sustainability section on each review. I'd like to see all phone makes have a take back when broken or dead scheme.

[@santilu31]

Not surprised by this. Europe has really been pushing the “right to repair” for years now. It’s crazy how they actually care about the customer over there.

[@LtdJorge]

Hah

[@Asoka-great]

thats a doomsday for Apple..😉

[@legendofJupp]

When i was taking a seminar about civil law in ger, i was given this tl; dr version at the start of it "there are 3 holy cows in the BGB: minors, employees, and consumers. Everthing else is secondary"

[@Marcelg13]

well in that aspect yeah but do they really care for their customers? Thats doubtful

[@yassine073t]

They just hate Apple like me but I keep buying their products

[@LeahandLevi]

Yes! So cool to see you cover this Marques! Such a cool flagship for the industry!

[@mitismee]

This isn't a flagship.

[@walternumber123]

You guys are here too, nice! I'm following both of you. 😀

[@walternumber123]

@@mitismee A flagship for sustainable phones.

[@HShango]

That is no where near a flagship, please let me know what you're drinking 🤔

[@faisal-nl2vf]

The way marques compared this to samsung a series and other midrange phones was disgusting. This is worse then 2021 budget phones, and those are repairable as well with plastic backs. There is a reason why this was only launched in Europe, to sell to people living in an oblivion buying their 'sustainability' crap

[@mohamedyagoub314]

Hopefully they keep growing I wanna see this in 5-10 years when they improve and are more popular

[@NoahStolee]

YES MARQUES!! I've been hoping you might include a sustainability segment to your reviews and repairability is definitely crucial there too. Thank you for shining a light on this

[@NoahStolee]

@@Fairphone I'm looking forward to your dream of "the last phone you'll ever buy!" If it's released in North America it will be very hard to resist :)

[@notstarboard]

10:30 So much respect. Really refreshing to see something like this in a tech review!

[@justinphilpott]

Respect for actually getting the sustainability message and passing it on instead of just glossing it over and focusing entirely on the spec differences. Well done - quality review!

[@ColonelLucario]

Being able to remove so easily the USB C port is just awesome When it breaks you must change the motherboard since it’s soldered to it (or you can remove it if you have the courage and tools for it) but here it’s really easy to open the phone and change to tiny little piece that can be broken so easily

[@ragilmalik]

Actually, most phones soldered thier usb C to their daughter board, not to their mother board. It's commonly paired with bottom firing speaker on its daughter board.

[@ColonelLucario]

@@ragilmalik yeah but still you must replace that board instead of just the faulty piece

[@Nagria2112]

MAD RESPECT for including a rapir and sustain part in EVERY phone review. man you did have to do it and companies will hate you for it but you did it anyway.

[@media2c]

Mad respect!? Why? Is he risking his life?

[@Stella_Blaze]

This is great their attitude towards repairability is good some other companies can stand to learn something from this ❤❤❤ They should make parts upgrades too like for chips etc that customers can put in themselves instead of buying a whole new phone for just one or two upgrades

[@rogermoreno1152]

As a long time iPhone user I gotta say I really like the Fairphone and what it’s all about. Great idea, good specs and an overall solid package seems like. Pretty impressive 👍🏻

[@riteshshinde3092]

You've got to appreciate brands like these introducing new ideas despite being on a tight budget, can't wait for other industry giants to emulate the same.

[@veeezis]

I have an old (2010 something) Sony-Ericsson smartphone lying in a drawer. That is the phone I fall back to when something goes wrong with my current generation phone. Yep, it still works. It also has a removable rear lid and battery and most other parts. How do you think we repaired our tech? This used to be the norm, you know?

[@pilifida23]

Hehe. I also have my old sony ericsson k850i and xperia z in my drawer 😂. Still functioning. I.m not gonna recycle them, i.m a horder 😂. I loved those phones

[@jackwilson5542]

Still, this "fairphone" doesn't have a headphone jack. With my heavy use one pair of wireless earbuds lasts me like 5 months before battery life becomes too short, so I have to buy a new one. They are fake company trying to profit from the ecovegan crowd, even selling their disposable generic buds for $99.

[@rgb2296]

@@jackwilson5542 Use type-c port? How much profit do they make ? Atleast they're trying to do something in the right direction.

[@istg5619]

iPhone : "we don't do it here"

[@jackwilson5542]

@@rgb2296 On the earbuds, manufacturing cost is $10 at most. (I have seen generic ones on AliExpress for 3.97 when bought in bulk, but they may have added some fairness to it) That means $89 is profit. The whole phone is bad proposition- budget specs for flagship price. They could have built a flagship and ask idk $1500 for it, but this phone is outdated at launch so keeping it for 5 years would be a horror. (Maybe sufficient for grandparents, but definitely not tech savvy people) I don't know what the market is- the eco-commies usually use an iPhone.

[@justinholding02]

My wife and I both have the Fairphone 3, it's been absolutely brilliant up-to now.. I decided to go this way after been really frustrated that nobody would replace my HTC 10's battery. The phone is in perfect order but the battery is dead.. I'll never buy a phone without a removable battery ever again. I also just picked up a refurbished LG V20 for my son. One of the last smartphones from a main company that has a removable battery. Beautiful metal build, shoots Raw format photos and even comes with a really useful IR blaster.. I hope other companies start doing this.

[@jaromirandel543]

5:10 - In fact all cameras are almost like in the fairphone. The difference is usually in the image processor and in post-processing.

[@tom.jacobs]

Fairphone already winning a point, simply in the fact that Marques now puts sustainability and repairability in his review. Making people aware is step 1 in making changes for the better.

[@ReddRubble]

Just this review though. He's not talking about it in all of the other companies...

[@tom.jacobs]

@@ReddRubble @10.31: "So from here on out I want to make a pledge to include some section in ALL off my future smartphone reviews on repairability and sustainability.."

[@ReddRubble]

@@tom.jacobs Oops, spent too much time reading comments i missed that. You're right thats awesome

[@chepux01]

This guy is just perfect. He's so smooth at everything! Kudos on the repairability idea Marques.

[@fju]

Thank you for this review! I was actually thinking about the Pixel 6 as well, so that was a great comparison.

[@ethanbunch3274]

Honestly im drooling right now. I'm a diesel mechanic and also I work on cameras and the market for modern-day smartphones is absolutely insane. My Samsung s22 I'm currently typing this on had its back glass broken at some point. The company said it would cost me $100 to send me a complete replacement phone, when back glass is only $9 from Amazon with the OEM adhesives. Also the speakers in this phone have been going out so I've been on the market for either a dumb phone or a really good repairable phone and this has filled the slot perfectly! I'm so excited to see a company dedicated to their customers and the fact that they genuinely care about repairability.

[@TomMcKenzieMusic]

This should be a new category in the mkbhd yearly awards! (of course I would assume fairphone wins but the runners up would be interesting!)

[@lilPopper]

This phone is most likely to win the category for easiest repairable phone, with the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro as a runner up. For sure Jerryrigeverything will even argue the Fairphone will be the winner in his durability awards

[@matthias4]

@@lilPopper, the Shiftphones would probably be close to the Fairphone(s), but Pixel might come after that. And if these companies are successfull, some larger brands might feel the need to offer something similar as well.

[@PrograError]

IMO give it 2 years or so before giving "awards" to the brands, do some honorable mentions to hype it up a bit. after that "grace period" hit them on the nail for not sustainable enough Vs cost benefits and features.

[@FugazStar]

The idea of modular, user repair-friendly is always coming back at different times, in a somewhat better form. I feel like the idea of the end-user actually repairing their own devices will never go away. I used to be a tech savy individual back in the early days of the smartphones, and I'm still one today. User are becoming smarter, and a lot of people like the idea of repairing or upgrading their devices. So I feel this is in some way the future of smart devices. Just like we have many people building or upgrading their own PCs. Hopefully more top tech companies get in the bandwagon and give us what we truly want.

[@deepeshmathuria]

I still feel that'll take a gigantic effort and push from consumers, as you see companies make enormous profits from each new unit sold, I mean take Apple, the biggest example of this.

[@kaizen5023]

@@deepeshmathuria yes, unfortunately, the stock market and capitalism currently reward monopolies and closed systems rather than open, repairable systems.

[@iRaps1]

I got the Fairphone 3 and that thing is still trooping on. Funnily enough, I didn't have to replace a thing yet and the battery is still fantastic. I'm genuinely pleasantly surprised about the 3, so the Fairphone 4 should live up to what it claims to be

[@notisac3149]

The Fairphone 3 sounds amazing to me. If I had a phone the size of a 3 with similar specs, durability and ease of service to the Fairphone 4 WITH a headphone jack, that would be the closest to perfect phone for me. If they were available in the US at the time and I actually knew about it, I probably would have replaced my dead iPhone SE (2016) with a 3 or 3+ instead of a refurbished SE. Someday I'll have to replace my SE with a Fairphone 4 lol. Good thing Fairphone 4 is finally available here.

[@YEETMachine3000]

This is it. I've always wanted something like this since like 2013. I hope this phone can change the world of electronics

[@adeetard2545]

Imagine how long an iPhone would last with their software optimization in this type of modular design

[@doggoboi7977]

You won't even change it

[@keklol6968]

It would be amazing because you could spec a phone exactly how you want it. Then you could make a pro mini.

[@sarthakjain1824]

250$ for port replacement

[@eyeyamjstn628]

Ship of Theseus: allow me to introduce myself

[@afrog2666]

Well it wouldn`t, because people get a new one every year, and they won`t even let you replace the battery, because it`s apple, and it`s trash. crApple prefers to have child labor and slaves in India.

[@greyareaRK1]

I like everything about this phone, including the design. It actually makes the camera bump look good. Its thickness is a plus IMO. It would be nice to be able to upgrade and/or mod the phone, but I expect that would require a giant user base. It would be great/better if Google, Qualcomm et al were leading the charger here, as they ought to, but this is great.

[@snughug1181]

Funnily enough, there's an ipod community based on modding old ipods, like give them Bluetooth, give them bigger batteries, and even give them usb-c! My point of this is that no matter how little a community is, they will always find a way to make their stuff better

[@HShango]

@@snughug1181 very true

[@thijmstickman8349]

In the fairphone 3 when they made a fairphone 3+ you could upgrade the phone just by buying a camera part. They may be planning something similar for the fairphone 4+ (like a better screen for example)

[@kelvinmorris1991]

Why should they be better? Nothing wrong with standing out from the crowd

[@HShango]

@@kelvinmorris1991 why shouldn't they be better? You got a backwards way of thinking

[@avocadosauce461]

i'm seeing some comments about this so let me make it clear. all phones today are pretty much built like kinda "modular", you can change the camera or port without replacing everything. what fairphone is offering is the absense of extra steps like heating up glue with also easier access to replacement parts and repair manuals(AND seems like very good sustainability!). i for example do and have fixed my samsung many times but i gotta order the parts from china(2 week wait) and also figure some stuff on my own

[@jdebarr]

Great video. i really like this phone. The drawbacks are not such a big deal to me and I have to say I love the fact that it has an SD card slot that I hear can hold 2T of data. I love being able to carry all my music and docs with me and this should give me that ability. Thanks for the Video, and all that you do.

[@billyc2493]

This idea is amazing! Being sustainable and easily repairable. Providing actual parts to repair the phones. No more salvaging for parts. Specs are okay but as long as it's able to get the job done. Hopefully, the bigger companies will do this in the future.

[@00kidney]

This is gonna be my next phone. I really feel the price is completely justified here.

[@daviddiveroli9331]

True, price is justified, plus one can have multiple charged batteries in draw handy just swap charged battery before heading out!!

[@HShango]

Bruh 🤦🏿‍♂️, you must've a lot of $$$$

[@HShango]

@Slayer Developer I don't know what you're on about

[@mitismee]

Make a video about it or you just say it for fun

[@GeekProdigyGuy]

@@HShango wtf? you think a $650 phone is $$$$?

[@fa7bardh991]

thank you this is what i was looking for a long time

[@janvanegmond3526]

Good for you, mr. Brownlee. I wholeheartedly agree with adding sustainability / ecological durability and sourcing friendliness as an integral rating aspect. Thanks for your in-depth review.

[@D-OveRMinD]

Holy crap, this is actually kind of awesome. Proving yet again that huge companies with unlimited resources like Samsung, Apple, and Google have NO excuse for not doing the same.

[@Kevinwelch2001]

Google even had a modular phone project for awhile. Killed it of course.

[@TheBoeingE]

@@sys-administrator apple stopped including chargers before the European Parliament started drafting those laws.

[@faisal-nl2vf]

better camera, display, soc, speaker, design, and cheaper.. yeah no excuses

[@D-OveRMinD]

@@sys-administrator But no one really cares. I'd need to swap a battery long before I ever dropped this in water. I have never, in 20 years of smart phone ownership, dropped a phone in water.

[@D-OveRMinD]

@@Slyj I would never use the charger that came with it anyway, so why bother. Good call to not include one...it's a waste.

[@MistaC1998]

Marques -"recycle your old phone in your drawer" Also Marques - *has drawer with like 50 phones in it*

[@Ob1Chosen1]

More like 500*

[@DAVE_WHITE]

Called a hypocrite which he is

[@fimarb292]

Prolly because he also "collects" those phones. If he were to get rid of them, he'd likely recycle them

[@Bendaak]

@@fimarb292 I only have 2 old phones I don’t use and they are part of my “collection”… an iPhone 6S and iPhone 8.

[@DAVE_WHITE]

@@fimarb292 No excuse at all he's always in this progressive democrat theme, recycle environment, all this hypocrite BS and he does not lead by example at all. remember his fancy electric vehicle is also a joke it uses coal fired plants to charge and also there is no clear clean way to "dump" old lion batteries they are very toxic so where does this al lead to? garbage theory that you are doing something good...

[@thepittsstops5146]

Dude... thank you for sharing! Very crispy!☝

[@Reid18]

Favorite thumbnail ever. Sweet phone. Fairphone has come a long way.

[@mjrmls]

I love this! Thanks for shining a light on this company and what they're trying to do. I've known about them for a while and it's nice to see them being propped up on the biggest tech channel on YT.

[@dragosionescu1]

Congrats for adding repairability and sustainability sections in smartphone reviews from now on 👏 With you making it more visible to the public's eye, companies should pay more attention to this in the future and hopefully we will see a change in the whole industry soon after.

[@SaSok898]

The next iPhone review is gonna be hilarious. Yeeeah it will brick itself if you change anything on it yourself and as a side note it was assembled by people in India making 5 dollars a week but more importantly look it has the apple logo on it so the best phone out there

[@baltoen_]

Hope you'll talk about the new Fairphone 5

[@daveslater9141]

I absolutely loved watching this review, very well explained, tech explained in such a way even the first time novice won't get left behind, but as an added bonus, you yourself are such a personable, very likeable and all round Nice bloke, I shall be most certainly tuning in to anything else you add to your KZbin account, I can't thank you enough for this review, kudos brother.

[@DarkRozzi]

Last week there was a dutch podcast called "met nerds om tafel" where the SEO of fairphone talked about the company. It was really interesting and told about what they all wanted to do in the future. One tf there biggest things they were working on was bringing the phone to more people all around the globe instead of in only Europe. But that it's hard to achieve for a company only has around 80 employees (if i remember correctly) so first thing i thought was dammmm small company big steps… But I love to see it work. I think the idea is great, and their goal to not only sell but also to inspire and inform the market that it can be achieved is a step in the right direction.

[@imwatchingyou6113]

Simple support the company by buying their products..we all benefit in the end...just a thought..🙏🙂

[@sarvadpaygude6712]

CEO*

[@douglasemsantos]

This is the first time I'm hearing about Fairphone, and I loved to hear about the amazing work they're doing! Awesome!

[@Billkelly5]

Not really awesome

[@7i4nf4n]

@@Billkelly5 Why not?

[@michaelwright2986]

It's remarkable that this phone is so little compromised by modularity. And it's so refreshing to meet practical sense about avoiding the catastrophe.

[@nirvahn996]

Marquee you legend! What microphone are you using filming this!? Also - been a mad fan following not just you - but the crowd funding vibes of a brand, not called fairphone though many years ago or as I last might recall, speaking to a modular phone/needs/wants based phone that has stuck with me ever since. So much so that I’d mentioned it just yesterday!! Thank you for allowing my mind to feel like we might just be able to keep loving forward … and for keeping my Mind fresh 🙂 there’s a stunner smile about my dear Marquee! May the odds continue to be for the favourable

[@mehdi4704]

Absolutely love this phone, and what the company stands for, there really needs to be much more pressure on the big companies to make/sell more sustainable electronics

[@rainbowofsoups8570]

Apple has been working hard on the issue. Their choices are different, but important to consider too. e.g. Making a durable phone. Provide updates for a long period of time. Sustainability in data centers, offices. Removal of plastic. Suppliers audit. New ability or order parts. removing the charger, etc... enough is never enough, but Apple is a leader in pushing sustainability goals.

[@Royvdl]

@@rainbowofsoups8570 except they want you to buy a new phone if something breaks in theirs

[@mwbgaming28]

They need to make something for the high end market (which is also the most wasteful market) Nobody is going to fork over nearly $1000 for a phone with mid range specs and performance

[@MrMozkoZrout]

@@rainbowofsoups8570 My dude excuse me but what ? Apple is exactly one of those companies that are the biggest problem. All of their eco talk is just PR and an attempt to look good for the congress. They had this repairability program but it was so limited that it was absolutely useless in practice and was just a PR stunt. Apple is the company that is purposefully designing their devices to break and to be as irepairable as possible. iPhones 12 and 13 have parts locked in software ffs. Even if you swap identical original parts between two phones it won't work. Apple even went as far as to create fake glitches for these parts that won't pass the software checks. They bully their parts suppliers not to sell the parts to anyone but them so no repair shop can work on your device and they won't ever release any schematics.

[@rainbowofsoups8570]

@@Royvdl Yes, sustainability of your cash is an important issue to you.

[@FalconEcho]

I actually used to carry 2 or 3 batteries for my older phones. Once I was low on power, I would just swap out the dead battery for a charged one. 🔥🔥

[@alexanderthegreatest5336]

I remembered that i used to do the same 😂😂😂 that was way awesome

[@ganeshnaik6503]

How did you charge those extra batteries?

[@jairuz3876]

@@ganeshnaik6503 There was a charger for batteries. You can adjust the height of it and stuff

[@Cjmboo]

yep those were the good ole days

[@guardianofthegalaxy2051]

Also older phones usually last the whole day or even two. Unlike phones right now which runs out in 6-7 hours.

[@TheHEROFamily]

I wish one of the major phone manufacturer companies would introduce something like this. Since most of them are concerned about their bottom line, being able to sell modular pieces will fall right into that.

[@ali2naveed]

I am in total support to the Repairability and sustainability section, it will put pressure on big companies to follow this route and give those kind of devices or come up with such high end lineup of devices which can be sustained for longer run. i can see for people like me who has always two phones to carry, and one can be old trust worthy friend.

[@jongoerke8983]

Thank you for doing this review, and for promising to include sustainability discussions in future reviews of all smartphones.

[@Ali_ReBORN]

This looks promising! We could save so much wastage this way as well! I’d gladly pay more if the features and upgrades are strong!

[@Glade4]

too bad its just a promise and not a legality that they will support the phone, I expect this to die within 1-2 years, thats just what these companies do, overpromise, make money and disappear

[@pascalhofstetter7475]

I've had it for several months and frankly it's really top notch and super robust, I highly recommend it 👍😉🌞

[@davidyoder5890]

This is the best review of the Fairphone I've seen. Nicely done.

[@RufusEatsCheese]

.My buddy has one of these and it's really great. Marques, I'm so thrilled that YOU posted this! Don't get me wrong, I love my iPhone and there's some incredible Android phones out there, but this is really the way that ALL the big manufacturers need to be thinking. It's not just about having the right to repair it but taking a more emotionally educated and environmentally responsible approach. It's not just up to the manufacturers to change or for government to legislate, we need to be responsible for our own choices. Great video.

[@Daniel-dj7fh]

Do you have one as well?

[@Samuel-7418]

That is so Cool! I wish all phones were this easy to repair. I love how you can just make your phone even better than when you bought it!

[@Jordy-927]

Interesting concept. What I’d like to see is an options list that you can check off what you want and don’t want. I have no use for a front facing camera for example. But something like a thermal imaging camera would be something I would like vice say the wide angle. Be really cool if it were like a u-build computer. You could get a phone case…and put in all the cool hardware you want, customized display…load your own OS…. Flagship phone sales would not be affected, as most people still buy off the shelf computers…but if you wanted a phone that’s specially made for you…you could build it.

[@fungussa]

Damn, that's brilliant!!

[@AkshaySinghJamwal]

Honestly, this is how phones should've been designed in the first place.

[@ChrizfromTO]

"We only have one earth. Hot take: we should be taking better care of it." HELLS YES! I'm grateful for the review and the willingness to include reparability. I would also love to hear anything other head-to-head comparison (are others using child labor? What about mining practices?). You are the kind of content producer who could push the industry in a better direction. Thank you and keep up the good work! :)

[@Demorthus]

Tbh, I think it's rediculous to say it's even a hot take.. It's just objective fact that we will ruin/destroy everything, if we take care of nothing lol

[@ravvvioli]

@@Demorthus pretty sure the "hot take" dialogue was meant to be sarcastic

[@kaizen5023]

@@ravvvioli yes, "hot take" was obviously sarcastic

[@kaizen5023]

YES please include in the iFixit scores in the reviews and /or come up with your own!

[@monkeydluffy9933]

Well would u like to donate 10USD per Month to any Environmental Organization?