If Apple is setting the bar even higher for what a smartphone is capable of with the launch of iPhone 11, Fairphone is doing the same for phone repairability with the Fairphone 3. iFixit just confirmed this is the most repairable phone yet.
iFixit is well-known for grabbing the latest smartphones and tearing them apart to see just how easy (or not) they are to repair. Marking each device out of 10 for repairability, the Pixel 3a ($199.00 at Amazon) and iPhone XR scored six, the iPhone XS ($163.81 at Amazon) only managed a four, and the recent Galaxy Note 10 Plus 5G achieved a score of just three. The Fairphone 3 on the other hand, just scored a perfect 10 out of 10.
The easy-to-repair mid-range Android 9.0 smartphone went up for pre-order in Europe late last month for 450 Euros ($500) and prides itself on not only being easy to repair, but also for its use of recycled materials and Fairtrade gold. The iFixit teardown confirms Fairphone has achieved its goal and should help entice a fair few more pre-orders.
Unlike many of the smartphone teardowns we see, the Fairphone 3 doesn't have any adhesive or sticky pads to contend with inside. Everything just clicks or screws into place using standard Philips #00 screws. iFixit was impressed by how well-protected the battery is in the casing while also being higher capacity than the one included with the Pixel 3a. It's also pointed out that if the battery life isn't good enough for you, it's possible to carry a spare in your bag and easily switch them. How many phones can you say that about in 2019?
Other features of note include a map of the Democratic Republic of Congo to confirm minerals used in the phone including tantalum, tin, tungsten, and gold were all conflict-free sourced. The phone is split into modules (top, bottom, camera, and loudspeaker) and each is housed in a polycarbonate casing, 50 percent of which is recycled.
The perfect score of 10 was awarded not only because the Fairphone 3 is a modular design, but due to how tidy insides are and how confident the iFixit team were that disassembling and reassembling the phone wouldn't break anything. In other words, if you want a phone that could serve you well for years (even if parts break and need replacing) there really isn't a better option on the market right now.
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