OEMs like Apple, Samsung, and others now actively advertise how their products use recycled materials.
If that’s the case, is it better to buy a sustainable phone?
Well, it’s complicated.
Image Credit: Fairphone/Flickr
Granted, sustainable phones are repairable and less harmful to the environment.
But the tradeoff for that repairability is something you might not want to bear.
Let’s see what those limitations are.
Without such a system, Fairphone will not be able to supply its users with spare parts for repair.
It will never be able to compete with flagships likeiPhones or Samsung phones.
After all, abundance fuels mediocrity.
Related:Smartphone Repair Myths Debunked
How Does That Limitation Affect You?
Despite this bad news, a sustainable phone might still make a lot of sense for you.
And if that’s the goal, sustainable phones can work wonders.
This practice fuels a strategy calledplanned obsolescencethat’s designed to make buyers buy more.
In comparison, the Fairphone 2 released in 2015 got upgraded to Android 10 in 2021.
That’s seven years of software support on an Android gear.
It might even reduce your productivity and not perform some tasks as smoothly as a flagship phone would.
The longer you use your phone, the cheaper it becomes.
One of the key selling points of Fairphone is how easy it is to repair it by yourself.
Surprisingly though, the Fairphone 4 doesn’t have adedicated headphone jack.
But as a consumer, you have the right to buy what makes the most sense for you.
