The Fairphone 3 is a green, labor-friendly iPhone alternative

If you’re looking for a smartphone that gives you a bevy of features but comes without the baggage of unethical labor practices and components that are bad for the planet, then Fairphone has a device for you.

As noted by The Verge, Fairphone has announced the aptly named Fairphone 3, its first smartphone refresh since 2016’s Fairphone 2.

When it comes to features, the Fairphone 3 can’t compete with premium phones like the iPhone XS. Still, it has enough power to handle the basics. 

The Fairphone 3 runs on Android 9 and comes with a 12-megapixel rear camera, 8-megapixel front camera, Qualcomm Snapdragon 632 processor, 64 GB of storage, and a 5.7-inch LCD display with 2160 x 1080 resolution. 

The phone is also modular, making it easy to repair. It’s also easy to replace the 3000 mAh battery. All of this is music to the ears of the right-to-repair movement, including iFixIt which, as The Verge notes, gave the Fairphone 2 a perfect 10/10 repairability score. It’s a far cry from the notorious lengths Apple has gone to to keep iPhone owners from being able to easily replace their batteries. 

There aren’t any fancy accessories delivered with your phone, either — no charger cable, no earphones — as Fairphone aims to cut down on e-waste. The reasoning goes that there’s a good chance you already own those things and they’ll work perfectly fine with Fairphone’s USB-C charger connecter and 3.5mm headphone jack. 

Fairphone’s sustainability goes beyond its easily repairable setup, though. They’re striving to not only use “fairly sourced” materials, but to use fair labor practices in producing their phones. If you trade in your old phone when ordering a Fairphone, you even get a small refund. 

And if Fairphone’s labor and environmental policies don’t sway you, maybe the price point will: €450, or around $500. It begins shipping in September but you can preorder now.