Fairphone 5: Everything about the "fair" smartphone in advance - price, details, pictures - eviltoast
  • Southern Wolf@pawb.social
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    1 year ago

    Fairphone brings a much better device to market with better cameras, a better screen, likely a better chip, open hardware specifications and modularity, a completely unlockable bootloader (with likely support for CalyxOS and other ROM’s shortly), and up to 8 years of software support(!), but people say they won’t get it because no headphone jack…

    MFW people have their priorities extremely mixed up… That’s been the world now for 6 years, it’s time to get over it. Letting perfect be the enemy of good is how you decide to throwaway something as good as what Fairphone seems to be offering. Sony still offers Android devices with headphone jacks, just don’t be upset if you don’t get another Android version pushed to your device.

    • limerod@reddthat.comM
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      1 year ago

      Yeah, it’s not available in my region. But, if it was, I would consider getting it. Snapdragon 778 level performance should be sufficient for most people.

      • Southern Wolf@pawb.social
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        1 year ago

        Yeah, I hope the FP5 will come to the US officially too. I know the FP4 could work here, but it apparently did have issues with a carrier or two, or something.

        Hopefully the 5 will bring true support for US markets.

      • Another Person @lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        For me it’s the camera. If the best camera I have is the one with me then the one with me is going to be the best I can buy (within reason) if they could get Samsung or Pixel quality (or iPhone I guess) that would be awesome.

        • limerod@reddthat.comM
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          1 year ago

          Iphone and samsung did not get their camera chops in months. It took years. Fairphone would take a similar amount of time to reach that. But, yeah, i agree a good camera would be great.

    • HidingCat@kbin.social
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      1 year ago

      Fair phone really shot themselves in the foot when they removed the headphone jack, especially given their mission statement.

      • jet@hackertalks.com
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        1 year ago

        Yeah it was a real slap in the face. Especially when they debuted their branded Bluetooth headset at the same time. It’s like gee you guys just charge more money for the phone if you want to make more money. Don’t make me suffer

          • jet@hackertalks.com
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            1 year ago

            It’s walking e-waste, in your ear! Not environmentally friendly. Ok sure, the phone needs a battery, but not everything needs a battery!

  • 𝒍𝒆𝒎𝒂𝒏𝒏@lemmy.one
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    1 year ago

    Ugh. Looks like they may never release a device with a headphone jack at this point. I’m fine with my FP3 but it still comes off a bad move.

    Can they please just bring back the project manager that oversaw the FP3? Since the departure the company has made very questionable design choices and decisions (FP4 without headphone jack, and the unrepairable first gen Fairbuds)

    • WagesOf@artemis.camp
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      1 year ago

      Buy a usbc dac for everything you have with that plug from 1975. Join us in the modern world.

      • QuazarOmega@lemy.lol
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        1 year ago

        But that steals a port used for charging :/
        I thought I didn’t mind when I bought my phone that doesn’t have it at first, but it really sucks having to reach for a dongle when I want to use my good headphones on the phone. If USB-C is really so superior for audio, then that would be a good argument to make 2 USB-C ports, don’t you think?
        Yet barely any manufacturer does it, I only ever saw it on some niche gaming phones. Even if they did that, the jack still has a place IMO, because it’s still so ubiquitous even newer midrange headphone releases use it

        • HidingCat@kbin.social
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          1 year ago

          Work phone doesn’t have a 3.5mm jack, it’s a lot more annoying than I expected it to be.

        • jet@hackertalks.com
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          1 year ago

          I think I would be sufficiently mollified if phones that remove the headphone jack had a USB-C port on the top and bottom. I’d still be annoyed but I’ll be like okay they’re trying to make the experience better

      • Fubber Nuckin'@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        The fact it’s that old literally only proves how reliable and effective it is. I don’t want to throw away a good solution for a worse solution just because somebody is trying to paint the worse solution as the future.

    • elouboub@kbin.social
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      1 year ago

      I simply cannot understand that decision. Am I supposed to throw away all my headphones now because of this dumb, Apple initiated fad? That big vendors like Samsung and OnePlus follow the inane “courage” displayed by Apple because they also want to be “premium” is understandable, but that smaller vendors, especially the fair phone do it is just dumb.

      Apple creates problems to sell you a solution

        • jet@hackertalks.com
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          1 year ago

          No they don’t intend you to use the adapter. They want you to buy their Bluetooth earbuds. They remove the headphone jack at the same time they introduce the earbuds. It’s about pushing sales of a disposable electronic thing. To increase their overall revenue. Apple demonstrated this by huge sales of their earbuds. And everyone else once money so they’re following suit. The reason Fair phone is pissing us off is because they said they weren’t like other corporations, they didn’t want extra e-waste, they were doing things to be sustainable, and then they pull the same dick head move. It feels like betrayal

        • elouboub@kbin.social
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          1 year ago

          Thanks, but pfffff. So I have to carry around another tiny thing I can lose easily. No thanks.

          • woelkchen@lemmy.world
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            1 year ago

            The idea is that you don’t detach the adapter from your headphones. My experience is that it kinda works, there are even ones that allow you to charge at the same time.

            I have some sympathy for Fairphone in that regard because they pay more for the materials and workers than Apple, so it forces their hand to a degree to save costs at other places. A friend has the Fairphone 3 and says the camera is unusably bad… So yeah, they cut costs and consumers stay away because they may need them. I need two physical SIM slots, for example and Fairphone has one since the 4 or so.

            • HidingCat@kbin.social
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              1 year ago

              Headphone jack is not about cost cutting, it’s about selling something with a higher profit margin.

              And not detaching the adapter doesn’t work when you have multiple devices.

      • jet@hackertalks.com
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        1 year ago

        Lemmy is full of first adopter technologists. The kind of people who spend all day on the telephone during conference calls, video conferences, whatever. The kind of people who deal with systems that break all the time. A very vocal community who doesn’t like foundational options being removed.

    • Papamousse@beehaw.org
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      1 year ago

      If the USB-C is wired for ground/left/right/mic then a simple $1 adapter will bring you a 3.5mm headphone jack

      • S13Ni@lemmy.studio
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        1 year ago

        99% of those adapters are garbage that break down in month or so. I am writing this on FP4 but I am also salty audio engineer and I would honestly trade my phones cameras to aux jack, just to avoid hastle.

      • _s10e@feddit.de
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        1 year ago

        But is it? Is this even a USB standard or just something some vendors do sometimes?

          • _s10e@feddit.de
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            1 year ago

            Honest question, how would i know whether the cheap passive adapter works on my phone?

            • elmicha@feddit.de
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              1 year ago

              You could type the model of your phone and “audio adapter” or “3.5mm adapter” into a search engine. Maybe the phone already comes with an adapter.

        • bitwolf@lemmy.one
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          1 year ago

          It’s an alt mode for USBC. But I’ve only ever seen HTC use it. Most just expect you use a dongle with a DAC, but I prefer this way because the dacs in phones aren’t always the best.

  • Opafi@feddit.de
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    1 year ago

    It’s too damn big. I got a Fairphone 4 and got rid of it because I just couldn’t properly use it (and because of the poor camera performance on top of that). Now they’re releasing an even bigger phone? I may be the minority here, but that’s a deal breaker for me. I’ll need a new phone in the next few months, but right now I’m only considering the s23 or the Xperia 5 V, just because everything else is just too fucking huge.

    • SillyBanana@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      Exactly. I’m now on 4 years old Samsung S10e, with replaced battery and display, because I can’t see myself using ANY of the new phones. All of them are so giant and heavy, and I already feel like I’d like something smaller than my current one… I guess the Fairphone philosophy wins anyway, hehe.

    • CuriousGoo@beehaw.org
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      1 year ago

      Is the Asus Zenfone available in your region ? If yes, its a pretty compact and feature rich phone.

      • Opafi@feddit.de
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        1 year ago

        That wasn’t on my radar, but the same point that kinda keeps me away from the Sony that I’d really like to like otherwise applies to the zenfone as well: really short update cycles. The zenfone even more so, as the Sony is just about to be released while the zenfone is already available for almost a year. I tend to keep my phones longer, so that really is a factor.

        • claymore@pawb.social
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          1 year ago

          Zenfone 10 got released in july this year. I’d buy it on the spot if the software support was longer. The only phone in recent memory that has good specs and also looks decent

          • Opafi@feddit.de
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            1 year ago

            Ah, the 10 is already out… I checked the 9. So at least it’ll be one more year of updates, but it still just is really not much for a device that’s 850 €.

  • narrowide96lochkreis@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    Has the most compelling hardware features of any Fairphone yet looks like. Also, quite like the design compared to their previous attempts.

    No eSIM though? It does have eSIM.

    Also hope the software or rather firmware stuff is good. And would like to see some competent camera review.

    Also, gotta say, funny how all the headphone jack die-hards from r/Android ended up here. As every single other comment here currently complains about it missing.

  • GenderNeutralBro@lemmy.sdf.org
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    1 year ago

    Specifically, the Qualcomm QCM6490 octa-core SoC is used in the Fairphone 5, which is actually more intended for embedded and industrial applications. The chip has eight cores and reaches up to 2.7 gigahertz, whereby the performance should be on the level of the Snapdragon 778G 5G .

    (Machine translated.)

    Interesting. I’ll wait for benchmarks before jumping to conclusions. Considering how Qualcomm has been raising prices, I’m not really surprised that vendors are crawling down the product line.

    • claymore@pawb.social
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      1 year ago

      In the article it mentions that the SoC might have been chosen because on it’s extended software support of 8 years. Industrial tier electronics also usually cost more than consumer counterparts, so unlikely a cost cutting measure

    • woelkchen@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      I’ll wait for benchmarks

      Fairphone was never about the high-end. Don’t expect anything marvelous.

      • Obi@sopuli.xyz
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        1 year ago

        It doesn’t need to compete with current gen flagships, these are just overkill anyway even for me as a heavy user also using it for my work etc. What they do need is “good enough” performance (i.e. 2/3 years old flagship performance) and a decent camera, that’s I think what was lacking that actually impacts users.

        • GenderNeutralBro@lemmy.sdf.org
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          1 year ago

          This is basically Google’s approach now. I’m a little disappointed that my Pixel 7 from 2022 underperforms the 2019 flagship it replaced, but it’s a compromise I’m willing to make for timely security updates.

          Sounds like the Fairphone 5 might be in a similar performance tier.

  • NightmareQueenJune@beehaw.org
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    1 year ago

    I am currently typing this on my Fairphone 4. I personally do really like it and the only thing I would really complain about is the cameras. They are fine but as soon as you get into low(ish) light settings or try to zoom just a little bit it get’s bad. When using 8x digital zoom you basically have pixel soup. And yes, I know digital zoom sucks. But at the same time my Galaxy S7 was older and did this soo much better.

    I was also annoyed about the missing headphone jack but it turns out that it really isn’t a huge problem for me. I mostly need it in my car and I just have a dongle that splits into USB-C (for charging) and 3.5mm jack that I store in my car. I don’t really get why Fairphone decided against it but it really doesnt affect me as much as I feared it would.

  • limerod@reddthat.comM
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    1 year ago

    There are currently 11 modules, which are user replaceable. It has 8GB of ram. It would’ve been so much cool if it was upgradable to something like 12/16GB.

  • jacktherippah@lemdro.id
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    1 year ago

    Too expensive for me. I understand why, like the whole being “fair” thing and all but those specs are not good enough for 700€.

    • jet@hackertalks.com
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      1 year ago

      We want to reduce our phone risk surface. Bluetooth is a serious security risk

      We want to be able to use the same headset on our computers and our phones

      We wanted easily be able to replace our headset if it breaks anywhere in the world

      We don’t want to have to charge yet another thing in our daily carry bag

      We want to keep everything simple so it just works always

      Wired audio is lower latency, which is better when talking to people

      Wired audio has higher quality! (default bluetooth microphone / headset audio is terrible…)

    • neumast@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      Why not let ppl chose what they want to use?

      Personally I use both, wireless and wired headphones/speakers. Sometimes Bluetooth is better, sometimes the headphone-jack is more convenient.

      Is this so difficult to understand?

    • poke@sh.itjust.works
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      1 year ago

      You know how convenient it is to just have some wired headphones lying around in the car in case I need them for some reason? (Like if I forgot my wireless ones for the gym).

      I can’t do that with wireless headphones, the battery will passively run dry.