Fairphone 2chat_bubble_outlineFrom real comments

Repairability is real, but opening the phone is often a fight. Multiple users confirm that replacing the battery, bottom module, or screen genuinely works and can take just minutes once you know the trick, with one calling it easier than replacing a shoelace. But an equal number describe the covers and screens as requiring excessive force, broken fingernails, pins, or over an hour of struggle, suggesting the mechanism is inconsistent or unintuitive without hands-on guidance.

Durability and quality control are inconsistent across units. Some owners report years of trouble-free use, including a Fairphone 1 still running fine after years, and battery replacements keeping a Fairphone 2 alive well past newer models. Others describe a litany of failures: dead cameras out of the box, worsening batteries, restart loops, cracked glass, unresponsive touchscreens, and app crashes, with slow customer support compounding the frustration for the unlucky segment.

The ethical pitch resonates, but price and parts availability strain patience. Commenters frequently justify the roughly 500-650 euro price by comparing it to unsubsidized flagship phones, and many say the ethical manufacturing story alone makes them want to support the project despite weaker specs, size, and looks. Yet others call the price absurd for 2014-era hardware and 2GB RAM, and several report waiting months for out-of-stock replacement parts, undermining the core repairability promise.