All the features I want to see

The Fairphone 5 represented a serious step ahead for the sustainable telephone firm. Whereas it improved upon a lot of its predecessor’s shortcomings, it was removed from good. Not solely had been there battery life and warmth dissipation considerations, however there have been additionally just a few different areas the place it fell brief as an Android telephone. Though its successor remains to be a great distance off, right here’s my wishlist for what I’d prefer to see within the Fairphone 6.

The Fairphone 5 performs pretty nicely in relation to primary duties, however even then, you’re prone to encounter overheating points that may actually spoil what would in any other case be an honest mid-range expertise. Our personal Rita El Khoury beforehand famous in her evaluation that the telephone would usually overheat, and never simply from prolonged periods. Even simply thirty minutes of use was sufficient to make the telephone noticeably heat, and longer periods might develop into uncomfortable rapidly. It’s not simply the processor that causes these thermal overloads, both. Simply 5 minutes of digital camera use in our check mannequin was sufficient to make the module very heat, even in comparatively cool climate.

It’s fairly apparent this gained’t fly once more. I understand that growing a contemporary telephone that the typical Joe can take aside comes with large challenges in relation to constructing first rate thermal options. The modular design leaves much less room for one. It’s additionally only a problem to construct a case with correct airflow that’s nonetheless straightforward to open proper up. A big a part of the issue was the Qualcomm QCM6490 chip discovered contained in the telephone, which we’ll get to a bit afterward this wishlist. Nonetheless, it’s essential for Fairphone to handle this problem within the Fairphone 6. Even a slight enhance within the telephone’s case measurement might assist, as it might present additional room for air flow.

Battery drain is a serious problem with the Fairphone 5. Whereas its 4,200mAh capability is often large enough for a telephone with mid-range specs, that’s not the case right here. In our testing, we discovered that the Fairphone 5 might not often make it by a full day’s use with out a top-off. Even after we stopped utilizing it, it sat on the evaluation desk for some time, and we observed it might solely take about two days to empty even when idle, a course of that takes most different telephones nearer to every week.

Fairphone has promised it’s engaged on software program optimizations that ought to hopefully enhance battery life on the present era, however wanting forward, the Fairphone 6 ought to leap as much as a 5,000mAh battery, just like what you’d discover in one other mid-ranger, just like the Galaxy A54 5G. I think that many people focused on telephones with minimal affect on the surroundings are additionally prone to go off the grid on occasion. Having an even bigger battery looks as if a pure match for this sequence.

After all, simply shifting on to a extra power-efficient processor will seemingly assist the battery life leap up dramatically. However the one-two punch from upsizing the battery would seemingly make this a telephone that might simply final into the two-day mark if Fairphone performs their playing cards proper. On the very least, it wouldn’t die earlier than in the future is up!

The Qualcomm QCM6490 is a curious alternative for a processor, because it’s not primarily constructed with telephones in thoughts and is as a substitute billed as an IoT chip. Nevertheless, there’s a technique to the insanity right here. Fairphone opted for this processor as a result of it knew it had long-term help on its facet, permitting it to confidently promise eight years of safety updates. Sadly, it’s very seemingly the chip is the explanation for each battery drain and overheating points, because it merely wasn’t optimized for this position.

Fairphone tried to suppose outdoors the field right here, however I’d argue it’s not a transfer value repeating. Whereas Google and Samsung each provide replace insurance policies of seven years of OS and safety updates for his or her flagship telephones, Qualcomm will seemingly proceed to enhance its help for cellular chips. Though this improved help could at the moment solely apply to higher-end SoCs, Samsung’s help traits sometimes prolong downward over time, suggesting that a lot of Samsung’s future price range units might additionally provide higher help. By that logic, Fairphone would take fewer dangers subsequent time round by sticking to a extra tried-and-true mid-range chip. In any case, the Fairphone 6 gained’t seemingly floor till 2025, so it nonetheless has a little bit time earlier than it has to lock down a chip forward of manufacturing.

A wi-fi charging choice can be a pleasant additional

Okay, not everybody cares about wi-fi charging, myself included. I’ve a wi-fi charger, however I usually find yourself simply plugging within the USB-C cable because it’s sooner. Nonetheless, the modular nature of the Fairphone sequence lends itself to a bit extra flexibility. I hope the Fairphone 6 provides wi-fi charging for individuals who choose it, even when which means making it an add-on. Maybe Fairphone might accommodate room within the case design however require you to purchase the module individually so you may add it your self.

One other smaller factor however the Fairphone 6 is a telephone that’s additionally a pure match for a 3.5mm headphone jack. Let’s face it, right now’s wi-fi earbuds and headphones have a a lot larger environmental affect than old-school wired options. There’s a battery, the parts wanted for Bluetooth, in addition to the parts for any on-device controls. If the Fairphone is meant to attraction to those that wish to decrease their environmental affect, a headphone jack can be a pleasant additional. Identical to wi-fi charging, it might even be one thing that you could add on your self for an additional price if the corporate doesn’t wish to provide it by default.

It’s approach too early for any actual Fairphone 6 rumors simply but however it’s fairly seemingly the telephone will exist ultimately. Fairphone’s first launch was approach again in 2013, so it’s a fairly established participant at this level. Then once more, it is usually a really small fish in an enormous pond.

Whereas I wasn’t in a position to dig up more moderen numbers, it appears to be like like the corporate bought round 115,681 handsets in 2022. After all, this was in the course of the Fairphone 4 days, and it was already a 12 months outdated. That’s fairly puny when you think about an enormous like Samsung bought round 259 million items. Even manufacturers smaller than giants like Apple and Samsung handle to do significantly better than this. For instance, the Pixel sequence bought round 10 million items in 2022.

It’s actually onerous to gauge how financially steady the corporate is with out realizing extra about its employees prices and different property. The world can be dealing with a variety of basic monetary instability for the time being, making it even tougher to say for positive. Nonetheless, the corporate appears to be doing nicely, and it has a devoted, although small, fanbase. We’d say it’s greater than seemingly there’ll many extra Fairphone units.

As for when such a telephone would possibly arrive? Fairphone’s constant launch schedule really makes this one fairly straightforward to pin down.

• Fairphone 5 — September 14, 2023
• Fairphone 4 — September 30, 2021
• Fairphone 3 — September 3, 2019

As you may see, there was a brand new Fairphone each two years in September because the Fairphone 3. Earlier than that, launch cycles had been a bit extra random. Except Fairphone makes a serious change to its technique, I’d say you might be prone to see the Fairphone 6 debut in any some level in September of 2025.

The Fairphone 5 hasn’t even been round six months, so I positively wouldn’t look ahead to the following one, however I’m additionally unsure I’d leap out and purchase the present one both. On paper, it’s a terrific telephone however with its reported overheating and battery drain points, I wouldn’t rush out and get one till the corporate has time to optimize the software program additional, which ought to hopefully assist. In the event you completely need a telephone constructed round ethically sourced supplies, there’s actually no different available various outdoors of the Fairphone 4 ($690 at Amazon). Whereas it’s beginning to age already, it might at the least tide you over till the Fairphone 5 both addresses its points or the Fairphone 6 arrives.