Fairphone says goodbye to 7-year-old Fairphone 2

Fairphone announces that the Fairphone 2 has reached the end of its life after more than seven years of support. The software update for Android 10 released today is therefore the last update.

Fairphone 2 gets Android 10

The Fairphone 2 was released in 2015 with Android 5, and has since been upgraded to Android 6, Android 7.1 and Android 9. Fairphone rolled out the first beta version of Android 10 to the phone in 2021. Now, two years later, the phone can count on the stable version of Android 10. That is also the last update for the seven-year-old phone.

When we first launched Fairphone 2, our software team had the ambition to support the phone for three to five years. Little did we know we would reach our goal (and more) as this was a first in the market. We are proud to have gone beyond our original ambitions for the Fairphone 2. The end of the Fairphone 2’s lifespan is bittersweet, because in an ideal world we would support our devices indefinitely. Due to industry and financial constraints, that is simply not feasible. Still, we’re happy to say we’ve supported Fairphone 2 for an unprecedented seven years.

Help, what now?

Fairphone has provided a total of 43 software updates during the life of the Fairphone 2. After March 2023, the manufacturer will no longer provide software updates for the Fairphone 2. After this update has been installed, users can continue to use their device. Then, if there is a serious vulnerability that the Fairphone 2 is susceptible to, it will not be addressed again. After March 2023, there will no longer be any security updates to the Fairphone 2. As a result, the phone may run into security risks. Fairphone provides the following advice for owners of this phone:

• You can continue to use the Fairphone 2, but at your own risk. Or, if you are an advanced user interested in installing an Android alternative, you can install an alternative operating system such as /e/OS and LineageOS on it.
• Put your Fairphone 2 on airplane mode to make sure it’s safe from security issues that come with being online. Then enjoy the other services that the device can safely provide, such as the camera, music player, offline games and photo gallery.
• If you decide it’s time to say goodbye to your Fairphone 2, you can have it recycled by Fairphone. As a thank you, you will receive a voucher of 50 euros to use in the Fairphone webshop.

Two things are also central to Fairphone: honesty and sustainability. The company does as much as possible to make their smartphones as fair and sustainable as possible. With fair trade, raw materials and employees who are treated and paid well. The company also lets you watch this. You can read editor Jelle’s Fairphone 4 review here, and find out how easy this phone is to repair.

Time for a new phone?

Of course there are many more phones on the market. In the weeks before old and new we made nice top lists of these. We published the three best budget smartphones, three best mid-range devices and the three best high-end phones of 2022. You can view our personal favorites in the Editor’s Choice article.

You will find much more buying advice in our buying guide, including a list of the best compact smartphones and overviews of the best smartphones by brand.