GoKawiilPaul Jones / Android Authority
TL;DR Fairphone has released the Fairphone Gen 6 Plus, the first model directly available in the US.
Previous models in the US were sold via software firm Murena and ran the Google-free /e/OS Android fork.
The Fairphone Gen 6 Plus costs $649 or £569.
Fairphone first made a splash over a decade ago by offering ethically built, repairable phones. The company has continued this trend over the years while also offering lengthy update commitments. It launched the Fairphone Gen 6 last year, and it’s now offering a mid-gen refresh of sorts. This is the Fairphone Gen 6 Plus, and it’s now officially available in the US.
Previous Fairphone models were available in the US via software company Murena and ran the firm’s Google-free /e/OS Android fork. However, the Fairphone Gen 6 Plus is officially available in the US via Fairphone.com and Amazon. This device also ships with the standard Google-equipped OS instead of /e/OS, complete with an in-house gallery app for the first time. Furthermore, Fairphone says the new phone is supported on AT&T and T-Mobile‘s networks.
These devices have a reputation for repairability, and the Fairphone Gen 6 Plus offers the same repairable design as last year’s model. That means you can replace up to 12 parts with a single screwdriver, including the battery, USB-C port, display, and cameras. These parts range in cost from $7.99 for the SIM tray all the way up to $89.99 for the screen.
Another reason to get Fairphones is their lengthy software update policy. The Fairphone Gen 6 Plus matches its predecessor by promising software updates until 2033, with “at least” six Android OS upgrades. These phones aren’t usually quick on the update draw, but this should still be reassuring if you want to keep your phone for more than two or three years.
Fairphone Gen 6 Plus: Hot or not? 30 votes Hot! 90 % Not! 10 %
The new Fairphone also brings a few upgrades compared to its predecessor, namely the Snapdragon 7s Gen 4 chipset and 12GB of RAM. By contrast, the Fairphone Gen 6 offered a Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 chip and 8GB of RAM. There isn’t a significant performance difference between the two chips, though.
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