• NotAnArdvark@lemmy.ca
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    1 year ago

    Threads for Fairphone often fill up with “it’s not going to work if they don’t X.” Lots of people don’t seem to understand that their personal viewpoint can be quite different from other’s.

    There are people who are aware of the trade-offs of a Fairphone, but still choose to get one.

    • bionicjoey@lemmy.ca
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      1 year ago

      I’ve always been in favour of a phone with a shitty camera. I don’t give a fuck about posting on social media, and these days a huge chunk of a phone’s price is determined by how powerful of a camera they were able to cram into it.

      I recognize that this apparently sounds insane to most people.

      • ripcord@kbin.social
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        1 year ago

        In terms of BOM the cameras usually aren’t even that much. It’s just one factor that allows them to differentiate “premium” phones they can gouge more for.

      • AggressivelyPassive@feddit.de
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        1 year ago

        It’s nice to have a decent camera, but honestly, 90% of the people (including myself) are so bad at taking pictures, that the difference between mid range and ultra premium is almost zero.

        The only thing that’s really really cool is night mode. My Pixel can take really great photos with extremely low light levels.

  • TurboTurbo@feddit.nl
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    1 year ago

    I was exited for this phone, but as I said in another thread: I am a bit disappoited about the CPU and the substantial price hike, but most of all aqout the size increase. Is there any market research at all indicating that customers want 6"+ displays?

    • Irina@beehaw.org
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      1 year ago

      Is there any market research at all indicating that customers want 6"+ displays?

      Unfortunately, yes. People who buy smaller phones are the people who buy a new phone less often, and small phones tend to sell worse than the big models (see S10e, iPhone 12(?) Mini) so don’t get renewed. Would be nice if they did.

      • NiklzNDimz@beehaw.org
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        1 year ago

        It’s so frustrating that this is true. I use devices until they’re dead or at risk of serious compromise before getting another, but the only options are ones that I can’t even hold comfortably with one hand. I’m seriously considering the Jelly 2 at this point.

      • DJDarren@beehaw.org
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        1 year ago

        I picked up a 13 Mini back in March, and will ride this bad boy for as long as I can, in the hope that Apple eventually release another Mini model.

        So perhaps it’s true that we hold onto our little phones for longer, primarily because we’re waiting for another little phone to come along.

        • sparkl_motion@beehaw.org
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          1 year ago

          This is so true. I had a 12 mini and upgraded to the 13 mini in December. The battery is better, and I plan on keeping this until the next mini phone arrives. (If any)

    • Ilandar@aussie.zone
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      1 year ago

      The CPU choice is great, why are you disappointed with it? It’s the reason they can offer a minimum of 8 years of support on this model.

        • Ilandar@aussie.zone
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          1 year ago

          Unfortunately I think a lot of people just have zero understanding of how the smartphone industry works. They think small manufacturers like Fairphone just have free reign to get whatever parts they want, offer updates for however long they want, etc.

          The reality is that Fairphone have to find a way to work within the system that has been created by big tech. That means selecting parts based on their suitability for the long-term support goals they have. It’s one of the reasons why the specs are mid-range, because these parts stay in circulation for longer. For example, the 4 had a very generic 60 Hz IPS notch display because it was a widely used panel within the industry at the time. Now that higher refresh rate OLEDs have become more common on mid-range devices, Fairphone has been able to put one into the 5.

        • Square Singer@feddit.de
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          1 year ago

          You have a Qualcomm QCM 6490? Google told me, there is basically no phone out there that uses it, because it’s an IoT SoC, not one made for phones.

    • Square Singer@feddit.de
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      1 year ago

      With you on almost all points. Only the size didn’t actually increase. The phone’s dimensions are exactly the same. Only the weight went up a bit. The screen size was increased by using up more of the phone’s front side.

      The phone is still a massive brick.

    • Justin@lemmy.jlh.name
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      1 year ago

      I get that they wanted to increase the battery and put out a new cpu, but I’m disappointed they’re not offering any camera or screen upgrades for my Fairphone 4.

      • Ilandar@aussie.zone
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        1 year ago

        Were you actually expecting that? No manufacturer has ever created an upgradeable smartphone, let alone one as small as Fairphone. The Phonebloks concept died ages ago.

        The situation with the camera on the Fairphone 3 was unique and mainly in response to problems with the original module. It shouldn’t be taken as evidence that they have the ability to do this with every edition of the Fairphone, or extend upgrades to other areas like the display.

  • Square Singer@feddit.de
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    1 year ago

    Interesting how they went for an IoT SoC (Qualcomm QCM 6490), instead for an SoC that’s actually meant for usage in phones.

    They probably did this to be able to get longer Android updates. As a side effect, that means it natively supports desktop Ubuntu and Windows 11 IoT Enterprise.

    On the other hand, this is pretty much the only phone using this SoC. (There are three models by a totally unknown brand from India that use the same SoC.)

    It’s going to be interesting to see whether that’s an advantage or a disadvantage.

  • Safeguard@beehaw.org
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    1 year ago

    I pre-ordered already.

    Ok, so honesty time: The fact that this company is good for the environment, pays people well, etc… is NOT my main “thing” for wanting to own this phone.

    It’s the fact that it is open. I can unlock and flash whatever I want, I can fix things by ordering replacement parts, a new screen is TOTALLY do-able both price wise and doing it myself.

    Also it does not come with bloat, or vendor-lock in software like on ALL samsung shitty phones.

    Out of all the phones, this one makes the most sense.

    (And my current FP4 goes to my mother, perfect for her and many more years of support)

    • 1984@beehaw.org
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      1 year ago

      I see Google Drive, Gmail, Google Messages on screenshots so it does corn with bloatware.

      • Oinks@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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        1 year ago

        While unfortunate, not shipping these standard Google apps is not really an option for any Android manufacturer due to Google requirements. Including them is required if you want to use anything from the GSM, which includes things like the Play Store and everything it touches. You can technically ship a different Android distribution like Lineage or /e/, but that’s not really what most people will be expecting of an “Android” phone and will narrow the viable target demographic even more than the value proposition already does.

  • Recant@beehaw.org
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    4 months ago

    I really wish it had a 3.5mm audio jack. I don’t see what companies stand to earn, other than money, when they remove the headphone jack.

    I can see why Apple and Samsung removed it because the they can market their own wireless headphones.

    Removing the jack only removes capability, it is not like older phones didn’t have the capability to connect to Bluetooth headphones

  • Fizz@lemmy.nz
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    1 year ago

    This is going to be my next phone. I cant wait to get out of the mainstream phone market. I barely use my phone for anything but browsing the web so it shouldbe fine.

  • Reil@beehaw.org
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    1 year ago

    Their website doesn’t seem to specify which GSM bands it has (simply “More Bands and Band-Combinations for better reception”). I want to know how much of a given provider’s spectrum I’d be missing out on trying to sneak one of these to the states.

    • keiko@fedia.io
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      1 year ago

      Fairphone 4:
      4G supported bands: B1/B2/B3/B4/B5/B7/B8/B12/B18/B19/B20/B28/B32/B38/B40/B41/B71
      5G supported bands: n1/n3/n5/n7/n8/n20/n28/n38/n41/n71/n77/n78

      Fairphone 5:
      4G supported bands: B1/B2/B3/B4/B5/B7/B8/B12/B20/B28/B32/B38/B40/B41/B42/B48/B66/B71
      5G supported bands: n1/n2/n3/n5/n7/n8/n20/n28/n38/n41/n48/n66/n71/n77/n78

      Relevant comment about Fairphone 4 in the USA

      TL;DR: By adding band 66, Fairphone 5 has better compatibility with cellular network providers in the USA. Band 48 also gives better compatibility with Verizon. T-Mobile is still the best for Fairphone in the USA.

      • Reil@beehaw.org
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        1 year ago

        Thanks! Yeah, it looks like it covers T-mobile minus the GHZ/ mmWave bands, which is good for me. A solid consider, especially if they (eventually) drag it over to the states like the Fairphone 5.

  • acastcandream@beehaw.org
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    1 year ago

    5 years of OS support

    If I’m going to go through the hassle of abandoning all the bells, whistles, and conveniences of major smart phone makers, I would hope to get a little more than just 5 years on my OS. The entire impetus for my getting one of these is the ability to replace failing parts and upgrade it as I go. What’s the point if it’s just going to stop being updated?

    I have an iPhone currently going on year 4. Replaced the battery once for $100. Got it for $700. I just don’t see why I should make the swap now. OS/security isn’t enough of a difference, price isn’t enough of a difference. Cameras on iPhone are better.

    All that fairphone offers me that I really want is better control and privacy, which is important to me, but I was expecting a little more on other fronts. 

    • Ilandar@aussie.zone
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      1 year ago

      They are offering a minimum of 8 years of software support. 5 years is the warranty. I’m not sure why OP wrote that, it’s not what was announced.

      • lol3droflxp@kbin.social
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        1 year ago
        1. It’s 8 apparently
        2. 5 years is as long as most phones that I used last so there would be no point to buy it
        • acastcandream@beehaw.org
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          1 year ago

          8 years of security not OS support.

          I don’t want a phone like most phones for $800USD. Especially one that’s slower, has a worse camera, etc. It needs either more impressive features or to be $200 cheaper. Otherwise why bother? Ultimately this boils down to price and features if they want to actually break into the market. The repair-ability alone isn’t enough.

          • Chewy@discuss.tchncs.de
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            1 year ago

            Fair wages for the people making the phone is also a selling point of this phone. It’s not just about repairability.

            That said I’m also not writing this from a Fairphone, because the price is too high for me.

          • hascat@programming.dev
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            1 year ago

            slower

            How fast do you need your phone to be for sending messages, streaming video, or browsing the web? Every phone made in the last decade can do these things.

          • Square Singer@feddit.de
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            1 year ago

            The high price actually cancels the point of the repairability. I can get a similar phone for easily €400-500 less. If I budget that extra price for repairs, I can get the battery and screen replaced quite a few times.

            I say that as an FP4 owner, who did the same calculation mistake there.

        • gelberhut@lemdro.id
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          1 year ago

          According to Fairphone “We plan at least 5 Android OS version updates after Android 13”.

      • gelberhut@lemdro.id
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        1 year ago

        Samsung offers 4 years of os updates for many phones and watches. And news reported that pixel 8 will have better.

        If I recall correctly, Xiaomi recently declared the same for some of their phones.

        • ripcord@kbin.social
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          1 year ago

          4 years including security updates though right? If that’s the flcase then fairphone’s doing 8 years.

          • gelberhut@lemdro.id
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            1 year ago

            No really. Samsung offers 4 years of os updates and 5 years of security updates. Samsung releases os updates really fast, so 5 years basically means 5 os versions.

            Fairhone declares 5 os versions and 8 years of software support. Fairphone users here mentioned that fairphone is very slow with updates, so it could happen that 5 os versions really will take 8 years. If Fairphone will keep same cadence as Samsung, its 5 os versions can be coverted into 5 years.

            But we have a bit of apples vs oranges here.

            I personally find samsung’s policy good enough for majority of users. I expect that I will upgrade my phone every 3 - 5 years for different unpredictable today reasons anyway.

        • Square Singer@feddit.de
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          1 year ago

          There’s a clear trajectory where this is heading. From 2027 the EU will enforce replaceable batteries and it looks like some other markets might follow. Software support duration is increasing a lot as well.

          I wouldn’t be surprised if you’d get most of the Fairphone’s benefits on a regular Samsung in a few years.

          • gelberhut@lemdro.id
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            1 year ago

            Yes, very realistic scenario. TBF, I cannot remember if I ever upgraded a phone due to the battery issuses.

            So, for me personally, replaceable battery is not a significant benefit.

      • M_Djallo@feddit.it
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        1 year ago

        Actually in the past they updated their software even past the support from qualcomm, rewriting by themselves what was needed to allow and old chipset to run newer android version

        Source

        • Square Singer@feddit.de
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          1 year ago

          Yeah, well, they are just doing what custom ROM makers have been doing for a decade and a half.

          My old Droid 4 was also EOL after Android 4.1. Custom ROM makers pushed this up to Android 7.1 by ignoring the parts (e.g. the Kernel) that they couldn’t update.

      • acastcandream@beehaw.org
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        1 year ago

        Fair enough. I should probably augment my tone a little bit. I understand that they are not doing this out of malice. But at the end of the day, it hurts the sale.  I’m not sure what the solution is.

        I mean the performance and the price just kind of steers me away. There isn’t enough going for this thing that makes me want to make the swap and change all of my systems I currently have in place. Especially when I can get objectively better hardware for the same price. 

        • Uranium3006@kbin.social
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          1 year ago

          The price is also higher because they use fair trade gold and whatnot. Given the mission to clean up the electronics industry it’s plesently suprising it doesn’t cost more

    • Ilandar@aussie.zone
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      1 year ago

      It will be deGoogled soon enough. The Fairphone 4 is supported across several deGoogled versions of Android including CalyxOS, iodéOS, LineageOS, DivestOS and /e/OS. The Fairphone 3 and even the 2 are also supported by some of those operating systems.

        • unautrenom@jlai.lu
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          1 year ago

          Lineage is the oldest one (Divest and /e/ are forks of it). Calyx has a focus on security and privacy (comes with a free VPN with no signup requires). Currzntly Calyx is based on Android 13, even on the Fairphone 4 which doesn’t have it supportes. I son’t know enough about iodé to comment about it though.

  • TheButtonJustSpins@infosec.pub
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    1 year ago

    If it a) comes to the US, and b) comes with stock Android out of the box, I might get it for my next phone. Currently leaning toward a Pixel with Graphene.

  • Sina@beehaw.org
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    1 year ago

    This is a pretty great phone, I just wouldn’t spend this much on a phone. Even if it lasts let’s say 6 years, I can buy 3-4 mid range androids at this price & as the years go by they could be far better than this one near the end.

    Also while Iphones are really hard to repair, they do last very long & there are people out there who can replace my iphone battery for like $40 and it too would last 5-6 years. (a recent enough refurbished SE for example)

  • nlm@beehaw.org
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    1 year ago

    Looks pretty nice tbh! Probably going to stick to my current phone a few more years until it stops being updated but if I manage to break it this might just be the replacement.