Hi, I guess we are several users who have had a Fairphone 2.
I would like to know what are the differences between the Librem 5 and the Fairphone 2. I do not mean only the processor, RAM …, also the ease of changing a component, the ease of bringing new operating systems …
For example, in my case, I had an FP2 of the last batches. Unfortunately, I found out that Fairphone had used other screens in the last few batches. Because of this, I could not install alternative operating systems that had been designed for the first FP2 model. This was a disgrace and I had to sell the phone that had cost me so much money.
I would also like to read your experiences and opinions with Fairphone.
A question to generate debate:
Why should I buy a Librem 5 if I did not like Fairphone?
FP has no free Hardware, runs non-free software (Android) and generally the hardware is about 3-5 years behind current mid-class smartphones. FPs have so many issues they don’t tackle that even if there was no alternativeas the Librem 5 I would not recommend it.
Btw. how can you call a phone with Android on it ‘fair’? IMHO is fairness not just about hardware.
Their primary use of “Fair” was as in Fair Trade, making sure that every component of the phones was built fairly with no child labour or by workers with less than living wage and with sustainable materials.
Fair is a very general word otherwise, if you try you can apply it to a lot (fair price, etc.)
Yeah, I see that, like the idea of fair produced hardware and appreciate that a lot.
My point is though, if you not only advertise your product to be fair but even name it “Fair” you should go all the way. They could sell their phones i.e. with the option to get them with Lineage, that would be a first, easy step. But this is OT, sorry.
That really doesn’t make sense. Microsoft makes software, but with your argument you could also think that they are supposed to make soft microfiber pillows because it’s in their name. With that argument you could also argue that all Free Software should be free of charge because it’s right there in the name.
They never claimed that their software was fair so they have no obligation to make their software fair even though it’s in their name. They only claim that their software and hardware is created fairly.
What I tell Fairphone users is usually a variation of this:
Fairphone’s priority was to be ethical towards those who manufacture their hardware, and they somewhat succeeded. They aimed at being ethical towards the users of the phone, but somewhat failed with Android.
Our priority is to be ethical towards the users, and if we’re ethical towards be manufacturers, that would be a bonus.
Even if we’ll not match Fairphone’s skill in sourcing of the components or legendary repairability at first, we will have some advantages.
The most important one is upstreamed software. The moment we deliver the phone with a mainline kernel, the community can step in and maintain it for ages, way longer than the average of 2 years when an Android device becomes an unsupported, dangerous wreck. I hope that will convince people to buy phones less often, which will ultimately benefit those who would otherwise have to manufacture them in bad conditions.
Another advantage is that we’re giving you control of your phone. Buying an Android phone means you’re stuck in Google’s kingdom. Even if you use a mod, you’re usually keeping the stock kernel and whatever vulnerabilities are in it. And that brings me to the last point: we’re taking privacy and security seriously. It’s not in our best interest to leave holes in the one phone that’s different Even then, we’re embracing the community and we want to work on security (and all else) together, so that you’re not just reliant on us,as you would be on Apple/Google/$hw_manufacturer.
i think the option is not to have no job but a better job. so just not buying a new phone isnt enough. you need to take care of proper working conditions for that. but you can’t save the world in one stroke. so purism concentrates on some of the many problems.
probably but global responsibility is always something that should be considered. fairphone tells they do to some degree so not bad to ask purism about the topic, isnt it?
Agreed, it isn’t enough, but it goes a long way. There’s currently no way to produce electronics without someone getting the short end of the stick. Don’t take my word for it - these people tried: https://www.nager-it.de/en
It may be the most effective thing to do to help the people making electronics happen, along with trying to rebuild the whole supply chain.
I see both Fairphone and Purism as being efforts to reform the smartphone industry in different ways. Both companies are important and deserve our support. I think that it boils down to what things you believe are more important.
If Purism and Pine64 can make mobile Linux a viable platform for smartphones, Fairphone will probably switch to mobile Linux in the future, because Linux is so much easier to support long-term than Android. Fairphone had to spend half a million Euros to offer a Google-approved update of the Fairphone 2 to Android 7.1, which is insane. No other maker of a Snapdragon 800/801 phone bothered to update to Android 7, because Google put some arbitrary technical requirements on every phone running Nougat, and Fairphone was the only manufacturer willing to deal with the bullshit from Google (and Qualcomm) to make an update happen.
Even then, we’re embracing the community and we want to work on security (and all else) together, so that you’re not just reliant on us,as you would be on Apple/Google/$hw_manufacturer.