FAIRPHONE 5 5GB (6GB 128GB Green)

I was really worried about buying this phone because of all the negative reviews, but I figured that I could always just return it. After a few initial hiccups because I was moving from iPhone and not used to Android generally, I have found that I love this phone and that it does all that I need with a large beautiful screen and great battery life for my purposes. I thought the fingerprint sensor was slow initially, but I now realise that the trick is to see it as a sensor and not a button that you need to press down at the same time. if you just touch it, it should unlock the phone or the app you are using. The camera is good enough for holiday pics, family pics, selfies, etc. If you zoom in, the pics can be grainy, but that is because you are zooming in - for all normal purposes like showing the pics to other people or on a bigger screen, the quality is good enough! I also think the transparent cover is cool and I find the fact that the battery is replaceable to be reassuring. If your company has a Bring Your Own Device policy, one thing to check is whether your company supports Fairphone as sometimes they just support the major players.

Incredible phone. Fairly sourced materials, good performance, good battery life, screen is pretty good (not the best, but for 99% of people it's fine), and the brightness of said screen is good. Arguably, it doesn't get as dim as I'd hope, but you can control this with an extra dim feature and night screen mode.

I purchased the phone because it is easy to fix, has a long guarantee and has software updates until at least 2031. I also like the ability to be able to change the operating system to be able to avoid being tracked by Google, all the security agencies and anybody else who wants to know and record exactly what I think and do - or at least make their lives more difficult. The only downside factor is the battery life hence the 4 stars. i.e. 36 hours or less. Effectively, charging most days. Battery life is a known downside. I assume a longer life battery and software management will be a priority. The modular construction of the phone allows the battery replacement without tools in 30 seconds. (The Tudia cover is a must have).

We can all make mistakes! I can only assume that my handset was rogue one. Bought this expensive forever phone based on the branding saying its ethical etc. Claims to be good value for money as it shouldn't need to be replaced for years......make that months. Seven months in and the handset started to dump battery power very quickly [like 60 per cent in one morning, with no calls being made etc]. Obviously something wrong, so its been returned. Have gone back to using a Nokia handset which was cheap [at under £100] and is doing the job.

I'm very happy with my new Fairphone 5. It feels incredibly well-made and the build quality is excellent. I appreciate the focus and effort on sustainability in such a challenging space crowded out with cheap materials and planned obsolescence in other brands. This includes repairability and long term software support. The phone is fast and the Android software runs smoothly. A great smartphone for everyday modern needs.

I like that the back comes off using just my thumb nails. The battery clips in and out with minimum fuss (no screws to undo, no sheild over the connectors, no dangly wire on the battery). I'm abivalent over the "dual SIM" milarky, downloading a soft-SIM for the "other" SIM "slot", but hey, I'm old-school. I'm also ambivalent over having to remove the battery before swapping/installing SIM card and Micro SD card - but I'm guessing thats to ensure the power is off-off before pulling them out or pushing them in... microSD cards with FAT don't tend to be hot-swap anyway. Overall I like that this phone has been designed so it can be mended by folk like me (my HTC Desire 530 had an escucheon top and bottom that has to be removed with a scalpel and four screws removed before the back/case could be removed, then a sheid had to be unscrewed before the battery could be disconnected/replace)

***UPDATE*** It has been months since I have left this review and have tried multiple times to contact the company but I have never heard back. There is no way to call them, emails go unanswered and the "web-chat" is a just an AI bot that says there are no people to talk to. Apparently I have read on their forum that the average response time from Fairphone is 4-5 months. I have given up and bought a different phone. I love everything about this phone, the design, feel and look is perfect! Everything has been amazing for the past 2 months and then one day my phone says there is no SIM card installed. There was, but it wasn't seeing it. So I put in another one, it didn't see it either, and another pay-as-you-go sim card and still nothing. Tried multiple times to contact the company with no response. They rely heavily on their forum for most problem solving. I did manage to open a repair ticket after having to input mandatory information like IMEI number, Purchase date, Receipts, Build Number... .ect. I have been without a phone for days now. The phone is great, albeit with some flaws, but the customer service is a joke. I will be replacing this phone.

Superb phone, easy to change battery and fix most things readily and relatively cheaply yourself. 5 year warranty and at least eight years of updates and support.