Fairphone Gen 6 offers repairability and dumbphone mode

The Fairphone Gen 6 is here, and in addition to being repairable at home, it packs a neat little trick. A bright lime green physical slider instantly activates a dumbphone mode so you can focus on more important things than doomscrolling.

The switch brings up Fairphone Moments, which is a distraction-free interface that blocks unwanted notifications, and presents only a short list of essential apps and contacts. There’s a preset list to get you started, and you can customize it as you like. Push the slider back, and your phone reverts to its full-blown Android interface.

As someone who’s repeatedly failed to consistently use dumbphone-style launchers to achieve a similar effect over the years, I appreciate the thinking behind this feature. The reason I haven’t been able to stick with those launchers is that, for better or worse, I sometimes do want to access my not-exactly-essential apps that I’ve tried to hide from view. A physical switch that lets me go from one mode to another could be the key to being more intentional with how I spend time on my phone.

Introducing: The Fairphone (Gen. 6) | Switch to a new smartphone experience

The Gen 6’s other clever inclusion is its support for modular accessories. That’s thanks to the design of the rear panel, which lets you tack on a card holder, a lanyard, or a finger loop. Fairphone also makes a case with a cutout for these screw-on modules, so you can use them while protecting your phone from bumps.

I'm usually not one for a phone on a lanyard, but Fairphone's execution of the idea looks sweet — I’m usually not one for a phone on a lanyard, but Fairphone’s execution of the idea looks sweet

The Gen 6 is designed to last a good while as a mid-tier handset. It’s powered by a Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 chipset, which is also in the Nothing Phone 3a Pro. There’s 8 GB of RAM and 256 GB of storage on board, and the front is graced by a 6.3-inch OLED display with a 120-Hz refresh rate.

Modular accessories like this card holder can attached to the rear panel

You’ll also find a 50-megapixel main camera and a 13-megapixel ultra-wide shooter on the rear, and a 32-megapixel snapper in front. The 4,415-mAh battery is removable and supports fast charging to 50% in 25 minutes.

The 5G handset is rated IP55, so it should comfortably handle a splash of water; there’s also Gorilla Glass 7i to to protect the screen. The phone weighs 6.8 oz (193g), which is just a tiny bit less than an iPhone 16 Plus.

The Fairphone Gen 6 packs solid mid-tier hardware, comes in these three handsome matte-finished colorways, and should run fine until 2033 – software and all

Fairphone says its flavor of Android 15 is free of bloatware, and you’ll get at least seven OS upgrades on it over the next several years. The company is confident this phone will remain reasonably useable until 2033.

The Fairphone Moments interface strips out distracting apps and notifications, leaving you with just the essentials

That’s all mostly standard fare as far as mid-range phones go. What’s neat about the Gen 6, like other Fairphones, is that it comes together with responsibly sourced components from traceable supply chains. Plus, you can replace the cameras, screen, battery, speakers, and other bits on your own using just a screwdriver, and spares from the company.

You can easily replace many of the Fairphone Gen 6's components on your own – including the battery — You can easily replace many of the Fairphone Gen 6’s components on your own – including the battery

The Fairphone Gen 6 will set you back €599 (US$694), which is pretty pricey if you just go by the specs on paper. Nothing’s Phone 3a and 3a Pro, which use the same chipset, sells for €349 ($404) and €439 ($509) respectively in Europe. However, Fairphone’s offering is designed to last a lot longer and be much easier to repair by yourself, and the company promises it’s manufactured through fair trade and labor practices. All that naturally adds to the cost.

The Gen 6 is available across Europe now. Check it out on Fairphone’s site.

Source: Fairphone

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