Hardware choices
The phone was designed to have a higher life expectancy (five years) than other phones.[12]
An important challenge with the Fairphone 1 was a system on a chip (SoC) Mediatek MT6589 that was not widely used and thus did not receive long-term software support from its manufacturer. For the Fairphone 2, Fairphone chose the widely used Snapdragon 801 platform (a high-end, early 2014 platform); hoping to maintain longer term support.
Fairphone deliberately did not include recent innovations like wireless charging or USB-C ports, intending for this to lead to lower prices and maintenance. However, the phone's modular design allows the modules to be changed with updated components. Newer versions of the modular design contain cameras.[13]
The back of the Fairphone 2 was equipped with a USB pin-out and charging input, allowing aftermarket back covers with extended capabilities.[14]
Ethical considerations
The phone was designed to have a lower environmental impact than comparable mass-market smartphones, with an expected lifespan of five years. The modular design allows components to be replaced individually.[15]
Many electronic devices contain conflict minerals[16] (tin, tungsten, tantalum and gold) from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), used by armies and rebel groups to fund war in the country. Therefore, some manufacturers avoid all materials from the DRC, which reduces employment opportunities in the country. The Fairphone 2 supply chain was audited to ensure that these materials come from mines that do not fund armed groups while supporting local communities in the DRC (where possible) to provide an alternative to conflict mines.[11] The tantalum and tin ores are sourced from conflict-free mines in the DRC, the tungsten was from Rwanda, and the gold was from a Fairtrade certified mine in Peru.[17] In addition, the phone includes recycled plastic, copper, and tungsten.
Modular design
The Fairphone 2 was the first modular smartphone available to the general public.[7] The modular, repairable design was designed to increase longevity, with an additional focus on increasing the product's recyclability.[19] The phone components are designed to be replaceable, with the end user only needing to use a screwdriver to replace components of the phone. In addition, it was possible to replace individual components within each module.
The phone received a 10 out of 10 score for smartphone repairability from iFixit, the first phone to receive the score.[20]
The phone consists of seven removable parts: the main chassis, the battery, the display assembly, the rear camera module, the top module (selfie camera, headphones, speaker, sensors), the bottom module (loudspeaker, vibration, microphone and charging port), and the back protective cover.[21] Except for an updated slim case design, the first module set to be upgraded the cameras, with a new rear camera module (with a dual LED flash and 12-megapixel camera) and top module (with a 5-megapixel camera) in September 2017.
