Fairphone 2 – what the reviewers say

Three years later, and the Fairphone 2 has gone even further than its predecessor. This time, not only is the device made from ethically sourced materials, but it is also modular. This means you can take it apart easily to replace, repair, or upgrade parts whenever you like. This makes for a phone that is cost effective and long lasting, a welcome change in a 'throwaway' culture in which smartphones are regularly discarded once the new model is released.

Here are some of the highlights from reviews of the phone.

Capturing the aim of Fairphone very well, James Vincent wrote for the Verge:

He goes on to say:

Many reviewers picked up on the phone's ethically sourced materials. Andrew Williams of WIREDWIRED, was keen to point out that through sourcing the gold for the device, Fairphone had played a part in setting up the first Fairtrade-certified supply chain for gold.

Claudia Cahalane, writing in Positive.News, said:

She references the work that Fairphone have done with Solutions for Hope to secure a supply chain that is untouched by war in the Democratic Republic of Congo - no mean feat in one of the world's most war-ravaged nations.

When it came to the phone itself, the ease with which it can be taken apart and repaired was celebrated across the board. At ifixit.com, the go-to site for repairing your electronic devices, it received a 10/10 for reparability - the highest score ever given to a smartphone. Many were amazed by how durable the phone was, with Cahalane's review starting with the phone being thrown at the ground and nothing breaking. Trusted Reviews' Joe Roberts was pleased to add:

And to sum it all up, Newsweek's Anthony Cuthbertson had this to say about the route that Fairphone has gone down in order to achieve an ethical smartphone.

The effort that Fairphone has put into ethically sourcing its materials and safeguarding the working conditions of factory staff is why we are so proud to be partnered with them.

As a co-operative, we share their socially and environmentally conscious values wholeheartedly. We believe strongly that business and consumer goods don't exist in a vacuum. Our buying choices can make a real difference to the world we live in. So getting your Fairphone 2 with The Phone Co-op is a great way to support greater fairness in how we manufacture the electronic goods that are such an essential feature of our lives today.