TL;DR Android 15 is already rolling out to the Fairphone 4 ahead of the previously announced schedule.
The phone skipped Android 14 entirely after last year’s software delay.
User reaction so far is largely positive, although the update did unpair Bluetooth devices for some users.
It was less than two weeks ago that we learned the Fairphone 4 would skip Android 14 altogether with a jump straight to Android 15, and things are moving quickly. Rewarding owners for their patience after last year’s software delay, the company previously stated that the upgrade would start arriving “from early November onwards.” Fairphone seems to be ahead of schedule this time around, with Android 15 already rolling out on the device.
A Fairphone employee confirmed on the company’s Community Forum that the phased rollout would begin on October 27, and the update is now reaching some users. It includes the October security patch and weighs in at around 1.6GB, depending on your existing version. The rollout is still phased, so those who haven’t received it yet should expect a notification in the coming days and weeks.
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So far, community feedback in response to the announcement is mainly positive. Several grateful Fairphone 4 owner said the update had installed cleanly, while a few noted a minor issue where their paired Bluetooth devices list temporarily disappeared. A Fairphone moderator acknowledged the report and said the team has already flagged it internally.
In addition to some headline features that the company highlights, such as Private Space, built-in Passkey support, and Theft Detection, the Android 15 update also introduces what Fairphone calls “Quality of Life Improvements” for Fairphone 4 owners. These include partial screen recording, app archiving, an interactive Bluetooth control panel, and the option to remove the home screen search bar. You can also disable your device name when connecting to Wi-Fi, set a default wallet app, and adjust the contrast for improved visibility.
Fairphone previously delayed the rollout of Android 14 due to technical challenges that required Qualcomm’s assistance, ultimately deciding to jump straight to Android 15 instead. This new release gets the 2021 Fairphone 4 back in line with its newer siblings — the Fairphone 5 and Gen 6 — which already run the latest Android version.
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