Linus reviewed (roasted) our phone | Fairphone reacts

It's not every day that a Youtube legend like Linus Tech Tips roasts your phone. We just had to get our co-founder and product manager Miquel to watch the whole thing with us and react. It's long and unfiltered, but Linus deserves our time :)

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Since 2013, Fairphone is on a mission to create a more sustainable and ethical smartphone. The modular, repairable Fairphone 5 champions longer-lasting design, fair materials, good working conditions, and the reduction of e-waste. We want to help the entire electronics industry to do better.

Also introducing: The new Fairbuds XL - premium, modular headphones that tick all the Fairphone boxes: built to last, easily repairable, made with fair & recycled materials, and climate-conscious.

By creating more sustainable electronics, we’re demonstrating the endless possibilities for a fairer future, for everyone! It’s no secret, we’re out to change the world. Fairphone puts people and the planet first.

Take a look behind the screen and learn more about the hidden stories you’re holding hand. On this YouTube Channel you can check out how-to’s about our Fairphones, tutorials and behind the scenes videos.

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Want to learn more about Fairphone? Check our other channels:

#Fairphone #Sustainability #Modularphone

[cesarecesare]

I work in a company where we work as maintenance technicians, we are often on construction sites and our smartphone hardly lasted more than a year. I recommended this smartphone to our manager and he took it for all employees, we have already changed a screen, but in general it is very durable. Well done for making such a product.

[Woodsmasher]

The sole fact that I can replace the battery like the old days on a modern smartphone... I'm sold.

[RubenvanKuik]

FairPhone did a much better job at convincing me to NOT get a FairPhone 5 than Linus... because I'll still be using my FairPhone 3 for years.

[Blue_Blaze]

Definitely agree that Linus was nitpicking a lot on the Farphone 5. I do agree that having strong vibrate on a phone is key, so glad to see you took that one seriously. Sounds like other things such as volume/screen brightness can be solved with updates which is good to hear too!

The only thing left is to get into the US market. ;) I know fairphone 4 is there but with only 2-3 years of updates left, it doesn't make sense for me to buy it now. I'd much rather buy soon after release so I can take advantage of that long update cycle, replacing parts when needed.

Lastly.. if someone did truly need more than 10 hours of youtube... you should point out that they can swap to a fresh battery in seconds lol. BAM! Another 10 hours of youtube right there.

[Noname........]

YOU GUYS ACTUALLY CREATING A TREND
that phones should be more repairable
phones should have more than 5 years of software support
phone parts should be readily availible for the users to end of life
Phone should have removable sd card slot i dont know why are they removing it
headphone jack should be there but no one uses wired headphones except me and i dont have problem with the dongle

KEEP ON DOING THAT AND ONCE IT RELEASES IN INDIA I WILL BUY IT

[grellguy]

When I bought my Fairphone 3, I was aware of most of the compromises I would have to make and I do not regret buying it. However, I want you to understand that, from my user perspective, Fairphone 5 is not in competition to Fairphone 4. It is in competition to all regular phones out there. Earlier Fairphone models should not be the main benchmark when you are designing your next phone. In the past better often was not good enough but just less bad, unfortunately.

[icetanker]

This video focuses a lot of comparing the 5 to the 4, and obviously the 5 is going to be better than the 4 - I’d be surprised if it wasn’t. But the phone doesn’t exist in a vacuum, and unfortunately while it’s better than the previous gen it’s not quite at the level of its competitors especially at the price point.

It would have been better to explain why the phone is, for example, heavier than the competition and how it’s a trade off for repairability or any other reason instead of just leaving it at “6% better than last gen”. Some more insights into why the phone falls behind other options available on the market would have been good to see and would have led to a lot less negativity.

Best of luck in the future though, and I can’t wait to see what the fairphone 6 and onwards will be like.

[jackmillen]

I think this video is a developers at blizcon kinda thing. These are people who are really passionate about that they do, but aren't the most PR trained

[allenellisdewitt]

The vibration strength could 100% be a deal breaker for many people, I can see that.

[PixelShade]

I think one thing that could benefit fairphone is if you guys offer something different design-wise compared to other companies. That way you will not get compared in the same light... These days, there are barely any small phones left on the market. I would've loved if you guys made something like that. I still hate the fact that phones are so big these days that I can barely have them in my pocket when sitting down or cycling. I'm not really conserned about the thickness but rather the massive real estate of the modern phone screens. Phones have really just become waaaay too wide and tall these days... I could see myself using something with the same footprint as an iPhone4 or iPhone6. But those kind of phones barely exist anymore.

[modena]

I love your concept and I wish big tech youtubers like MKBHD and Mrwhosetheboss gave you a 2023 prize, as the most sustainable phone.

Also why care for a wireless charging? When you can simply open the case and change battery. It's instant 100%.

You're a great company. Keep doing the good work. 👏

[BlackwinghacksBlogspot]

Potential customers compare Fairphone 5 with other commercially available phone and NOT the Fairphone 4

Update since this comment made it to reddit
I signed off one of my replies to this comment as "random dude on the internet". Don't drag Fairphone for something they didn't do. Lololol

[edgymushroom]

Great that you decided to respond, but along with some other guys say, you gotta be a bit careful with defensiveness. You got an amazing product, some of your responses are spot on and some are a bit passive aggressive "who watches YouTube for 10h" "really, Linus" "you use your phone at this angle?" there better ways to respond to this 😅
I have a fairphone 5, and love the mission

[procrastinatingnerd]

I think Linus's point about the back button and google search not being movable is that most people don't want to use a different launcher, and your response that "you are free to download any launcher" is not a very good solution. Every time I have switched to a different launcher, they are riddled with other issues that drive me just as bonkers. Just get the stock launcher right in the first place so nobody has to switch to a different one.
And I have been able to move the back button on every phone I have had. I am pretty sure it is a default option on android, (Edit: OK so moving them is not the default option) and you stopped to respond to the running apps thing as a "stock android" thing, so why were the buttons changed to be worse?
I am completely with Linus on the back button, I like it on the right side so I don't have to reach across the phone with my thumb. This is why the option to move them exists on other phones...
You are right though, there were a lot of comparisons that he made that I'm thinking, "ok, so". I think he is being extra critical of the phone because he wants you guys to succeed so much. So take it to heart.

[velvetcobra]

I find it HILARIOUS that people can really compare the cost of this phone to the cost of other phones.
It’s the same as comparing a well paid employee made dress to one produced in a sweatshop. If it’s not affordable for you right now then that’s fair enough, but it’s the other phones which are dirt cheap through exploitation. This is the cost that a phone is meant to be.

[mitchib]

I think you should be a little less defensive. I'd buy a Fairphone if it had a headphone jack, no holepunch camera, uniform bezels (I don't care if they're big) and at least 120hz. The ability to hot-swap TF cards is useful for people who do a lot of video or who listen to mp3s.
Measuring a device thickness in my opinion should always include the camera bump. No question. You can't say "my car is 2.3 metres wide if you don't count the wheel arches" because that's literally part of it.

As for "you're calling a deal-breaker something that can be solved in a monthly software update", you should never buy something for what it can be, only what it is.

The ability to swap the back and multitask buttons is something I would need. Having them with the back button so far away is just not ergonomic.

Linus' point about the Samsung being easy to repair is totally wrong. There's no question that Fairphone is easier. Is a Framework laptop as seamless as a MacBook? No. There's got to be a compromise. That's the nature of it.

Your whole "thank you for the airtime" seemed really petty and like you had a personal grudge against a reviewer for doing their job. Do you really think many people will buy a Fairphone after such a hard-hitting review? I was going to and after seeing the problems he had I decided against it even though I firmly believe in the mission.

Try to do this kind of thing with a more open mind. It felt like you were kinda acting stroppy in this video and it's really off-putting when your company is A+ otherwise. I hope it improves in the future.

[maggs]

I have the fairphone 4 and love it. It performs perfect for a normal person who needs a phone. I don’t need a supercomputer. I get worn out by tech reviewers and specs. People who bought this phone did for a different reason….appreciate the reaction and ownership of device’s performance.

[bacphan]

How often do you replace your battery ? I bet less often than changing your sim or micro SD card.

So why making changing battery easier than changing micro sd card ?

[Soccera]

I'm disappointed that the bit about the phantom headphones was cut out. Do better.

[ChrisFloof]

For the wireless charging, would it be possible to do something like the Samsung Note 3 did? You could buy a new back cover that had the wireless charging coil built in. It had pins on the case and metal pads on the phone so if you wanted wireless charging you could just buy a new back cover and if you didn't, you already had everything you need.