Fairphone Reviews 

The blue light screen protector is definitely too brittle for its price. I've just applied a new one, the next day my F5 dropped face down and already got its first crack. This is the second time I replace it.

I really like Fairphone's mission and what they are trying to achieve in the field of tech. However, recently I have been very disappointed with the way they have dealt with my phone repair. I sent it to get it fixed 3 weeks ago after which I haven't had any update on my phone's status. Really was hoping for better customer service by a company that puts so much effort in their product

Very satisfied with my Fairphone 5. I already changed the USB-C port myself and all went very well. I'm also going to move from Google Android to /e/os, wich is made really easy by Fairphone.

I bought the Fairphone 6 genuinely believing in their mission, but ended up as an unpaid beta tester.

The software and build quality are an absolute joke. Random reboots, freezing touchscreen, and the 5/6GHz hotspot and USB tethering barely functioned. To top it off, a physical button just fell off and micro-cracks appeared on the plastic from normal daily use.
​They sent me a replacement unit, and guess what? It had the exact same software (as support said) defects out of the box!
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When I demanded to terminate the contract, the gaslighting started. Support tried to convince me that physical hardware failures and dropped networks were just "software bugs they'll patch soon." They even had the nerve to lowball me with a partial refund of just €349 for a defective device! I had to literally threaten them with EU consumer laws just to make them agree to a full refund.
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But the nightmare didn't end there. I returned the phone using their own prepaid UPS label. UPS lost the package, and now Fairphone is holding my money hostage. I keep getting copy-paste replies from support, completely ignoring the fact that under EU law, the seller is responsible for the courier they provide.

Maybe you also want to hear about the ultimate the very last cherry on top. My assigned support agent went on vacation for a whole month without handing my case over to anyone else. Wat.
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Just stay away. You’ll pay a premium for a buggy, unfinished device, and when it inevitably breaks, you'll have to fight tooth and nail just to get your own money back.

(I helped my gf with this refund, she has a different name obviously).

My Fairphone is my prized possession. No other phone comes close in terms of ethics, and the quality is excellent. After a year of blissful usage, I dropped it on hard concrete stairs and cracked the screen. (No other damage.) With other phones the screen would be irreplaceable - I would have to buy a whole new phone if I wanted an intact screen again. But with Fairphone, I can simply buy a new screen and follow the YouTube video. I wish everything was like this.

I was in the need fore a knew phone that lasts long.
Dutch based company + the fair part is an added bonus.
Everything works great.

Is it more expansive than other brands?
If you need to replace parts over time no.

I realy like the FP6 with E/OS, ansome picture 😍 that this phone made and very suitable.

And I see the good comment in trustpilot, it was the motivation to bought them :)

Fairphone 6 purchased 26 Jan 2026 - I had my previous Fairphone for c.8 years.

Since I installed the Android 16 update, several apps will only work on mobile data and not on Wi-Fi.
These include BBC Sounds, BBC News, MetOffice, Strava and Garmin. It is annoying to have to keep turning off Wi-Fi at home, and I am using a lot of data. I have Googled this and there are many people experiencing the same problem. As of 17 August this hasn't been fixed. Support say it is a 'conflict with certain IPv6 network protocols'.

Also, the FP6 does not have a headphone socket, so I am using a Belkin adapter. My phone often doesn't recognise that I have plugged in my headphones and the sound continues to come from the phone itself. This is very awkward for me as I listen to the radio/podcasts in bed to get to sleep - if the speaker is on it disturbs my partner. Please can you sell a headphone like this - buds fall out if you're running.

WireType-C-Earhook-Headphones

(I would still need to use the adapter if I want to charge the phone overnight and use the headphones at the same time).

Since July 31, grey line across display, sometimes turns bright white with flickering orange screen below it.

There are charging issues - doesn't always charge when plugged in. Runs out of battery and has to be recharged whilst turned off.

Photos look 'washed out'.

It is extremely inconvenient to return the phone for repair, as you have to wipe everything and manage without it for 2 weeks or more. UPS has very few outlets in our rural area.

I have had Samsung phones in the past, and my husband always gets Samsung - these are extremely reliable.

I am prepared to put up with fewer bells & whistles in return for a more ethical product, but it does need to be reliable. I will seriously consider choosing a different brand in future.

Mixed bag, mostly bad.

The flip case for the Fairphone 4 is awful. It doesn't close properly, so it doesn't provide the screen protection you really want a flip case for. It's very awkward to take photos with the phone with the case on. The case broke apart completely after just a few months of normal everday use (no crazy weather exposure or anything). Also exorbitantly expensive!

I had to order a replacement USB-C port and the screwdriver to make the repair in the same order as the case, and thankfully that was much better. Being able to order reasonably-priced replacement parts you can easily install yourself should be industry standard.

The phone itself (Fairphone 4) is very underwhelming. The camera wasn't great when I got it around 5 years ago and has only gotten worse since then. Same with the battery life. It's always been pretty slow in many contexts. The specific version of Android you get has been improving but it's still very awkward (e.g. apps with Android widgets that simply don't show up on the Fairphone; troubleshooting solutions that don't work because the settings menus aren't quite standard).

Delivery has been pretty quick with good packaging each time I've ordered from them. Unfortunately I think I may have to switch to a more standard phone soon because of the problems mentioned above - especially the fact that getting decent cases that fit these things is pretty much impossible.

Very bad experience with Fairphone 6. I bought it because of the ethos but it ended up feeling like being part of a beta testing project. After a few weeks the phone died completely whilst on a routine charge. Had to send it back with associated customs declarations etc. Contrary to the advertised principle of repair they were unable to fix it and sent a new phone - making pointless the main reason I chose Fairphone in the first place. The second phone crashed after a few weeks - apps could not be opened or messages sent or calls made. At this point I wanted my money back and had had to buy a new phone. Fairphone were not only slow with email reponses but quibbled about it being past the two-week approval period (irrelevant), and when they eventually agreed to send a refund it was £350 instead of the £479 I had paid - so no full refund never mind any compensation for lots of inconvenience. And all the while repeatedly including in their emails "if there's anything else we can do..." etc and "nice to e-meet you". From my experience Fairphone is a good idea but sadly I would recommend not buying their product unless you are happy to have a backup phone always available, and to risk spending time sending theirs for repairs - and not getting a full refund if it fails.

Shipped very quickly. And of course this is a wonderful company which is trying to do the right thing in sustainable consumer electronics.
The new green of the gen 2 Fairbuds XL is really, really nice. It is much deeper and darker than that of the gen 1 and makes it look much more luxurious. I bought it as a present for my daughter who loves them and claims the battery lasts very long.

The experience depends a lot on your priorities. For example, there are some random display glitches, especially related to the keyboard, but once you know how to "de-trigger" them, it´s ok. Some apps that require a lot of graphic memory for all sort of transitions and other ui/ux stuff (e.g. instagram) seem kind of "rudimentary" and have some lagging. Other than that, the phone seems pretty great, I bought it for the durability and repairability.

I've been a fairphone customer for many years (on my third handset) but regretting that decision... I was forced to upgrade my phone because fairphone are shortly stopping support for the Fairphone 3. I wasn't particularly happy about having to upgrade but I took advantage of an offer advertised to upgrade and get £70 cashback off a new handset. I bought the new phone through the Phone Co-op at the end of June within the offer period but can't get my cashback that was promised. I tried to claim it online several times but the link didn't work. I then emailed customer service and they said I hadn't bought the phone in the offer period. I emailed back twice with proof of purchase showing it was in the offer period but have had no response! There's no phone number to contact either. I feel totally ripped off - firstly forced to buy a new phone and now find that the £70 cashback offer was clearly a scam!

Although I fell for the eco-friendly mission, I am unfortunately very disappointed. After 1 year, the phone all of a sudden would not connect properly to my car anymore. I contacted Volvo, tried AI but nothing worked. Fairphone's customer service is terrible: slow to answer, doesn't properly read the issue, and pointed the finger to Volvo instead of working together towards a solution. After ample time I decided to buy a new phone and will never become a Fairphone customer again.

In today's world our phones are connected to a multitude of other appliances. If there are connectivity issues, the solutions will first be fixed for the bigger brands like Apple or Samsung. Therefore I don't understand why Fairphone did not take the opportunity to solve this issue in a way that I would become a life-long customer. This is a real missed opportunity. My advice: don't buy a Fairphone!

Update 2026-08-08: After I lodged strong complaints, Fairphone finally agreed to a return and refund. I have just received the money.

Original: I bought Fairbuds XL. I'm not satisfied, to say the least.
I contacted support (see also my report about them).
Result: The Fairphone service tries to cheat you out of the 14 days return by delaying with useless "repair" attempts.
Never again anything from them. If all had gone well with the Fairbuds, my next phone would probably have been a Fairphone in a couple of years.
That will not happen, the risk is too high.

I ordered fairphone 4 few years ago. In this particular mobile phone I have never experienced working GPS for more than 2 months. I remember to update software regularly: after working patch of Android there is another one breaking this basic feature. What's more, I reached fairphone support couple of times but with no great succeed in reclamation. They have extremely long response time but relatively short period is enough to close the issue if my response did not appear. I cannot tell exact number of day as this problem lasts for couple of years. I have the impression that my messages were not read with understanding. After raising couple of issues the final message I've got on Decembe 2025 was reassuring that they work on my issue and reach me out soon. Well, the diddn reach me until now, over half year later. My last ticket number is (or was, as it's very probable they already closed it): 1358806
Generally the idea is great but realisation worse and the communication the worst I've ever experienced.

Devices made to last.

Owner of a Fairphone 4 from 2 years. The phone is shot to pieces. The customer service is nihil. The warranty is a joke. My charging port got broke and could not charge the phone and it died. I contacted them. They asked me to ship to the Netherlands for repair and that they would wipe all my data. Due to Brexit I did not want to risk my phone delayed in custom. I could not save the data so I asked to send me the part. they refused. they said I had to buy it myself and they will reimburse. they did not specify anything else. I bought the original part through iFixit who has 48 h delivery (Fariphone shop takes 10 plus days!). Now they say they cannot reim urse because I bought it third party. It is an original part of the Fairphone, just shipped by another company ! The most useless and ridiculous service. Please do not buy.

Pretty much the only phone I ever had that an update actually fixed bugs I've come across, a device I'll easily keep around for a while.