I tried the viral Fairphone 6, and it's one feature away from replacing my Pixel

Follow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source on Google.

---

I’ve reviewed a lot of Android and Android-type phones over the years, and I always think, “I wonder how long this phone will last until it’s cast aside for something newer”. It’s a thought that always creeps in, no matter the type of phone I’m reviewing, and I know I’m not the only one. 

Then comes the Fairphone, a fair-trade smartphone that’s repairable and designed for the long haul. Fairphone wants you to shed the idea you have to upgrade every year, saving you money in the process and preventing devices from finding their way into landfills.

Also: Why I recommend this budget Android phone to most people over Samsung and Google

As someone who’s championed clean and responsible living, the Fairphone is very appealing to me. When the company sent me the Gen 6 to review, I was excited to give it a try. Naturally, I tempered my expectations, knowing this was a midrange device and that I couldn’t expect it to beat my Pixel 9 Pro in performance.  

That being said, the Fairphone Gen 6 was in no way a disappointment. Actually, I found it quite refreshing.

One thing to keep in mind is that the Fairphone Gen 6 can be ordered directly from the Murena website, but it comes with the privacy-focused /e/OS (deGoogled Android) and primarily works best on T-Mobile’s network for full functionality like VoLTE/VoWi-Fi. 

According to Fairphone, the company partnered with Murena to streamline its entry to the U.S. market. This means, unfortunately, that you can’t buy the Fairphone Gen 6 with Android anywhere outside of the EU. At least for now.  

My experience

After unboxing the Fairphone, the first thing I noticed was how light it felt in my hand. Then came the texture; the phone just felt good, as if I could confidently hold the thing without it slipping from my grasp. There’s a slight texture to the case, which gives it a bit of grip.

I like.

Don’t get me wrong, the Fairphone is most certainly not a flagship device. But even so, it does stand up to just about every mid-range device I’ve tested, and surpassed many.

Also: The best kids’ phones you can buy

For one thing, the Fairphone Gen 6 has the honor of garnering a perfect score on iFixit’s Reparability Scale, and that matters. This is a phone that is meant to be repaired, not forgotten, and with this device, you can repair the battery, display, top unit, cameras, earpieces, loudspeaker, even the USB-C port. 

And before you think such things are above your head, the company has how-to videos to help you along the way. I challenge you to find another phone company that offers such robust self-repair instructions. 

If you take a look at the back of the phone, you’ll see two screws that give easy access to the phone’s internals. Unlike most manufacturers that want to keep you from repairing their phones (so they’ve locked you into a buying schedule), Fairphone goes the opposite route and encourages you to repair whatever ails your device.

It’s such a breath of fresh air.

Now, how does the Gen 6 perform? As I mentioned earlier, it’s not going to beat out my Pixel 9 Pro, but I had no assumption that it would. Even so, this phone performed quite well. Apps open quickly, and animations are fairly smooth at the default refresh rate. 

If you want smoother animations and scrolling, head over to Settings > Display > Refresh rate and bump it up to 120 Hz. Keep in mind that upping the refresh rate will have a negative impact on battery life, but if a smoother experience is what you want, then you’ll probably be okay with that. 

Also: My top 6 open-source Android apps from the Google Play Store – and why that’s important

Speaking of which, the Fairphone Gen 6 includes a 4,415-mAh cell battery, which allowed me to go a full day with normal usage. No, this isn’t anywhere near the battery life of, say, any one of the Oukitel phones, but it’s not too shabby. Besides, I’ve experienced some Pixel devices (consider the Pixel 4) with far worse battery life.

One of the interesting little additions to the Fairphone is the physical switch on the right side that can be customized to certain actions. At first, I was confused because I’d accidentally hit the switch and activate the Fairphone Moments feature. 

This feature allows you to create a distraction-free UI to transform your phone into a simplified space for essential apps. It’s actually kind of nice because it allows you to switch between the standard Android UI to one that resembles one of my favorite minimal launchers, O Launcher.

Also: How to turn on Private DNS Mode on Android – and why it’s a must for security

If you don’t like the minimal launcher, go to Settings > Switch and select what you’d like to choose (from Moments, Do Not Disturb, Flight Mode, Torch Light, Dark & Light Mode, or Battery Saver). This feature alone makes me want to adopt the Fairphone as my go-to because it’s just so handy.

In the box, you’ll also find a tool that makes it easy to remove the screws from the back of the device, so you don’t have to worry about procuring one.

ZDNET’s buying advice

If you’re tired of purchasing a new phone every year (or every other year), I would seriously recommend taking a look at the Fairphone Gen 6. Not only does it perform as well as any mid-range phone, but the ability to repair it makes it stand out among a crowd of devices that want to lock you into a purchase schedule that might strain your budget.

The Fairphone could easily be the first phone you could keep around for years to come, and that is a brilliant idea.

You can purchase the Fairphone Gen 6 with either Android or the deGoogle’d Murena OS from the official store.

Fairphone Gen 6 tech specs

• CPU – Qualcomm Snapdragon 7s Gen 3
• Display – 6.31-inch P-OLED 
• Protection – Corning Gorilla Glass 7i screen
• Battery – 4415mAh battery
• Storage – 256GB 
• RAM – 8GB of RAM
• Cameras – three-lens camera setup: 50MP main, 13MP secondary rear, and 32MP selfie camera