-
Fairphone 4 with /e / OS.
/h/
-
Just think of all the repairs you can do.
/h/
-
Here’s what the /e/ home screen looks like, if you were wondering.
/h/
Fairphone is a unique Android manufacturer; It offers a smartphone made for repair, extended software support times, and a selection of parts available online. The Dutch electronics manufacturer has focused mostly on the European market and says, “When does Fairphone come to the US?” is one of the most frequently asked questions. Well, ask for no more! Finally, the company is bringing the Fairphone 4 to the US — with a few caveats.
Fairphone has launched a US beta program to sell the Fairphone 4 in America in partnership with Murena, the lead developer behind the /e/ Android fork. Murena has been selling Fairphones in Europe for a while now, preloaded with /e/OS, rather than the Fairphone version of Android, and now the US is getting the deal. The phone costs $599.
“We know based on the feedback we’ve received that there are many people interested in Vervone in the United States.” Fairphone CEO Eva Goins said in a press release. However, our main focus is currently on the European market. This cooperation with e/OS/ is a great opportunity for us to experience selling devices in the US market with a long-term partner and learn more about the US market.”
Fairphone parts. Note that the motherboard is not a “commercial part” which makes repairing water damage difficult.
Vervon
/e/ is a “fully designed” privacy-by-design fork for Android that offloads Google’s apps and services for the alternatives offered by /e/. Instead of the Play Store, you get an App Lounge full of Android APK files and Progressive Web Apps. Instead of Google Play Services, you get an open source microG app. Instead of Google Maps, you get OpenStreetMap-based Magic Earth, and cloud data can be stored on NextCloud-based Murena Cloud, or self-hosted by the user. If you just want a repairable phone, this will be quite a change from regular Android, but it is also assumed that you can flash to regular Android versions approved by Google.
As a quick recap, the Fairphone 4 came out in 2021 with Qualcomm Snapdragon 750G SoC, 6GB of RAM, and 128GB of storage. Just like before the days of closed phones, the back is closed, and the 3,905mAh battery can be removed by the user. The entire phone is built to be modular with salvageable parts such as the camera assembly, speakerphone, USB-C port, screen, and phone body all as individual components. Fairphone usually sells parts on their website for easy repairs, but for the US, we were told parts would be available through Murena. If you go online and activate your warranty at fairphone.com/warranty, the phone has a five-year warranty.
By the time you read this, the phone should be for sale at murena.com/shop
List of images by /e/
