All the features I want to see

The Fairphone 5 represented a significant step ahead for the sustainable cellphone firm. While it improved upon lots of its predecessor’s shortcomings, it was removed from good. Not solely have been there battery life and warmth dissipation issues, however there have been additionally a number of different areas the place it fell brief as an Android cellphone. Although its successor continues to be a good distance off, right here’s my wishlist for what I’d like to see in the Fairphone 6.

The Fairphone 5 performs pretty properly when it comes to fundamental duties, however even then, you’re possible to encounter overheating points that may actually spoil what would in any other case be a good mid-range expertise. Our personal Rita El Khoury beforehand famous in her assessment that the cellphone would usually overheat, and never simply from prolonged periods. Even simply thirty minutes of use was sufficient to make the cellphone noticeably heat, and longer periods might turn out to be uncomfortable shortly. It’s not simply the processor that causes these thermal overloads, both. Just 5 minutes of digicam use in our take a look at mannequin was sufficient to make the module very heat, even in comparatively cool climate.

It’s fairly apparent this gained’t fly once more. I notice that growing a contemporary cellphone that the common Joe can take aside comes with large challenges when it comes to constructing respectable thermal options. The modular design leaves much less room for one. It’s additionally only a problem to construct a case with correct airflow that’s nonetheless straightforward to open proper up. A big a part of the downside was the Qualcomm QCM6490 chip discovered inside the cellphone, which we’ll get to a bit in a while this wishlist. Nonetheless, it’s essential for Fairphone to deal with this challenge in the Fairphone 6. Even a slight improve in the cellphone’s case measurement might assist, as it will present additional room for air flow.

Battery drain is a significant challenge with the Fairphone 5. While its 4,200mAh capability is often sufficiently big for a cellphone with mid-range specs, that’s not the case right here. In our testing, we discovered that the Fairphone 5 might not often make it by way of a full day’s use with no top-off. Even after we stopped utilizing it, it sat on the assessment desk for some time, and we observed it will solely take about two days to drain even when idle, a course of that takes most different telephones nearer to per week.

Fairphone has promised it’s engaged on software program optimizations that ought to hopefully enhance battery life on the present technology, however trying forward, the Fairphone 6 ought to bounce up to a 5,000mAh battery, related to what you’d discover in one other mid-ranger, like the Galaxy A54 5G. I suspect that many people all for telephones with minimal impression on the setting are additionally possible to go off the grid from time to time. Having an even bigger battery looks like a pure match for this collection.

Of course, simply transferring on to a extra power-efficient processor will possible assist the battery life bounce up dramatically. But the one-two punch from upsizing the battery would possible make this a cellphone that would simply final into the two-day mark if Fairphone performs their playing cards proper. At the very least, it wouldn’t die earlier than in the future is up!

The Qualcomm QCM6490 is a curious selection for a processor, because it’s not primarily constructed with telephones in thoughts and is as a substitute billed as an IoT chip. However, there’s a technique to the insanity right here. Fairphone opted for this processor as a result of it knew it had long-term help on its aspect, permitting it to confidently promise eight years of safety updates. Unfortunately, it’s very possible the chip is the cause for each battery drain and overheating points, because it merely wasn’t optimized for this position.

Fairphone tried to assume exterior the field right here, however I’d argue it’s not a transfer price repeating. While Google and Samsung each provide replace insurance policies of seven years of OS and safety updates for his or her flagship telephones, Qualcomm will possible proceed to enhance its help for cellular chips. Although this improved help might at present solely apply to higher-end SoCs, Samsung’s help tendencies usually prolong downward over time, suggesting that lots of Samsung’s future funds gadgets might additionally provide higher help. By that logic, Fairphone would take fewer dangers subsequent time round by sticking to a extra tried-and-true mid-range chip. After all, the Fairphone 6 gained’t possible floor till 2025, so it nonetheless has somewhat time earlier than it has to lock down a chip forward of manufacturing.

A wi-fi charging choice can be a pleasant additional

Okay, not everybody cares about wi-fi charging, myself included. I have a wi-fi charger, however I usually find yourself simply plugging in the USB-C cable because it’s quicker. Still, the modular nature of the Fairphone collection lends itself to a bit extra flexibility. I hope the Fairphone 6 provides wi-fi charging for individuals who want it, even when meaning making it an add-on. Perhaps Fairphone might accommodate room in the case design however require you to purchase the module individually so you possibly can add it your self.

Another smaller factor however the Fairphone 6 is a cellphone that’s additionally a pure match for a 3.5mm headphone jack. Let’s face it, at the moment’s wi-fi earbuds and headphones have a a lot larger environmental impression than old-school wired options. There’s a battery, the elements wanted for Bluetooth, in addition to the elements for any on-device controls. If the Fairphone is meant to enchantment to those that want to reduce their environmental impression, a headphone jack can be a pleasant additional. Just like wi-fi charging, it might even be one thing you can add on your self for an additional value if the firm doesn’t want to provide it by default.

It’s means too early for any actual Fairphone 6 rumors simply but but it surely’s fairly possible the cellphone will exist finally. Fairphone’s first launch was means again in 2013, so it’s a fairly established participant at this level. Then once more, additionally it is a really small fish in a giant pond.

While I wasn’t ready to dig up newer numbers, it appears to be like like the firm offered round 115,681 handsets in 2022. Of course, this was throughout the Fairphone 4 days, and it was already a 12 months previous. That’s fairly puny when you think about a large like Samsung offered round 259 million models. Even manufacturers smaller than giants like Apple and Samsung handle to do significantly better than this. For instance, the Pixel collection offered round 10 million models in 2022.

It’s actually onerous to gauge how financially secure the firm is with out understanding extra about its workers prices and different belongings. The world can be going through a number of normal monetary instability at the second, making it even more durable to say for certain. Still, the firm appears to be doing properly, and it has a devoted, although small, fanbase. We’d say it’s greater than possible there’ll many extra Fairphone gadgets.

As for when such a cellphone would possibly arrive? Fairphone’s constant launch schedule really makes this one fairly straightforward to pin down.

• Fairphone 5 — September 14, 2023
• Fairphone 4 — September 30, 2021
• Fairphone 3 — September 3, 2019

As you possibly can see, there was a brand new Fairphone each two years in September since the Fairphone 3. Before that, launch cycles have been a bit extra random. Unless Fairphone makes a significant change to its technique, I’d say you might be possible to see the Fairphone 6 debut in any some level in September of 2025.

The Fairphone 5 hasn’t even been round six months, so I undoubtedly wouldn’t await the subsequent one, however I’m additionally undecided I’d leap out and purchase the present one both. On paper, it’s an important cellphone however with its reported overheating and battery drain points, I wouldn’t rush out and get one till the firm has time to optimize the software program additional, which ought to hopefully assist. If you completely want a cellphone constructed round ethically sourced supplies, there’s actually no different available different exterior of the Fairphone 4 ($690 at Amazon). While it’s beginning to age already, it might a minimum of tide you over till the Fairphone 5 both addresses its points or the Fairphone 6 arrives.