Fairphone 5 Review: Hopeful Innovation? | nextpit
The Fairphone 5 boasts a design that is made up of recycled and ethically sourced elements. The smartphone has a 100% recycled plastic back, an aluminum frame and is IP55 certified.
Pros:
Cons:
The Fairphone 5 is available in three colors: blue, black, and transparent. The latter is what I received for the review unit from the manufacturer.
As a Nothing Phone (2) fanboy, the transparent back speaks to me. Fairphone applied colorful patterns to the visible components via the back cover, and I rather liked the look. However, I must admit that the plastic back, which can be removed to access its components, doesn’t exude premium vibes.
The smartphone offers a good grip with its rounded corners. The aluminum frame reminds me of the iPhone 11 in terms of feel. The smartphone is certified IP55 against water and dust. This is better than the Fairphone 4 (IP54), but you still cannot submerge it.
The Fairphone 5’s screen is flat, and although its chin and forehead are a little too wide for my taste. Thankfully, they are symmetrical in nature, so those who are OCD about such things need not tear their hair out. The entire display is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 5.
The smartphone is rather hefty, tipping the scales at 212 g, but I did not find it too cumbersome to carry.
The real attraction of the Fairphone 5’s design is its modularity. You can simply unclip the plastic cover at the back to access the various components within. All in all, you can dismantle and replace up to 10 components: the screen, USB-C port, top and bottom speakers, selfie camera, the two lenses at the back (separately), battery, SIM port, SD port, flash, etc.
You can buy the components at the manufacturer’s online store. The smartphone comes with a five-year warranty, so spare parts will be available for just as long. On the other hand, I think it’s a shame that the battery, although removable, blocks the SIM and microSD ports. You will have to remove it to access them.
As for the disassembly, it is a fairly easy and, above all, quick matter. It can be a bit stressful to have to use a bit of force to unclip certain parts, and I was afraid of breaking the smartphone. Thankfully, all went well in the end. There was no data loss or malfunctions after reassembly.
Fairphone also places great emphasis on the eco-responsible and ethical dimension of the Fairphone 5’s design. At least 70% of the smartphone’s 14 key components were made from either recycled or ethically sourced materials. I’ll focus on Fairphone’s commitments in a dedicated article later.