The Fairphone 4 is fairly a decent phone. It may not be as speedy or powerful as the few premium flagship smartphones out in the market today but the phone definitely has a market. It’s mainly for those who want more sustainability. It’s not wasteful as you can upgrade its components that will probably make the device like almost brand new. The new modular smartphone was only officially revealed last September. IFixit got a hold of the modular phone and managed to open it.
The result of the teardown is favorable towards the Fairphone 4. It’s obviously one repairable phone.
It’s easily repairable that we wish all OEMs take note from Fairphone. Unfortunately, the specs are not that powerful. But then again, there are people who prefer repairability over super specs because you can always upgrade a component or two anyway.
As for the Fairphone 4, it’s already advanced if we’re talking about 5G that allows ultra-fast mobile Internet. The camera system has also been upgraded. Ingress protection is already available.
Opening the phone is relatively easy. The back cover needs a bit of prying but that’s understandable because it could be because of the IP certification.
The Fairphone 4 shows labels inside. The battery can be easily removed as well. It is placed inside a plastic shell so it’s protected. This also protects the other parts. Transfer of power is done by some exposed metal contact points.
Underneath the battery, you will see a microSD card reader. This lets you expand the memory but we’re not sure about the maximum storage option it can support.
The teardown also shows the cameras are easy to separate from the antenna. There is no 3.5mm headphone jack. The phone is mainly held down by Philips screws. Most components can be easily removed or replaced. No need to use a suction cup.
