The Fairphone 6 arrives almost two years after the 5, a testament to the company’s approach to the upgrade cycle. If anything, I suspect the company would be frustrated if Fairphone 5 owners were considering a new model already — these are phones to keep, to repair, and to hold on to until the bitter end.
The Fairphone 6 no longer feels like a compromise (except in the US)
The most repairable Fairphone yet is also the first I can easily recommend — but only if you live in Europe.
The Fairphone 6 no longer feels like a compromise (except in the US)
The most repairable Fairphone yet is also the first I can easily recommend — but only if you live in Europe.
The newest Fairphone continues the company’s commitment to user-repairability, long-term customer support, and ethical production. That means compromises for the consumer: You’ll find more powerful phones with prettier displays and more capable cameras for less money. But this year those compromises are smaller and easier than ever before, while the phone remains a lot better for the planet — you can’t say fairer than that.
Fairphone 6
The Good
- Exceptionally user-repairable
- Ethically produced
- Decent performance
- Long-term software support
The Bad
- Basic cameras
- Only IP55
- Expensive in the US
The Fairphone 6 is available now across the UK and Europe. It costs €599 / £499 for a version running Fairphone’s custom Android software, which is fairly close to the stock experience, or €50 / £50 more running /e/OS, a privacy-centric, Google-free version of Android made by Murena. If you’re in the US, that’s the only model available, and you’ll have to buy it directly from Murena for $899, a price that Murena founder and CEO Gaël Duval told me reflects tariffs on US imports. It’s a substantial price difference that takes the Fairphone 6 from competing with midrangers like the Pixel 9A in Europe to flagships like the Pixel 10 or iPhone 16 in the US, making it significantly harder to justify.