Dutch company Fairphone has been making modular, repairable smartphones using sustainable and ethically-sourced materials (where possible) for the better part of a decade. But up until now they’ve only been available for purchase in Europe.
That changes today with the launch of the Murena Fairphone 4, which comes from a partnership between Fairphone and the makers of /e/OS, an open source Android-based operating system that’s been stripped of proprietary Google code. It’s available now for $630 and up.
First released in Europe in 2021, the Fairphone 4 features a 6.3 inch, 2340 x 1080 pixel IPS LCD display, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 750G processor, up to 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, dual 48MP rear cameras, a 25MP front-facing camera, a 3,905 mAh battery, fingerprint sensor, a microSD card reader, and IP54 water resistance.
But what really makes it unusual is the modular, repairable design. Unlike most modern smartphones, you can easily replace the battery. But the front and rear camera modules, USB-C port, earpiece, display, and back cover are all also designed to be replaceable, and Fairphone sells spare parts for each component. Customers in the US will also be able to buy spare parts from the Murena store.
The phone is also manufactured using ethically-sourced gold, aluminum, and tungsten as well as recycled tin, plastic, and rare earth minerals.
And Fairphone is known for offering long-term support for its phones. That seems to be something that holds true with the Murena version as well – the company offers up to a 5 year warranty on the Fairphone 4 for customers who purchase the phone by the end of 2023.
The Murena version of the Fairphone 4 is basically the same as the version sold in Europe, which means that it doesn’t support any additional network bands – it’s recommended that customers use it with T-Mobile’s network in the United States for the best network support.
Two things that are different are that you can actually buy the Fairphone 4 in the US now, and it comes with /e/OS pre-loaded instead of Fairphone’s version of Android. Keep in mind that the Fairphone is a pretty open device though, so customers who’d prefer to flash a different Android or Linux-based operating system should have plenty of options. For example, there are builds of LineageOS, postmarketOS, and Ubuntu Touch for the phone.
But folks who are looking for a Google-free (or maybe Google-lite) version of Android can also stick with the /e/OS software that comes with the Murena Fairphone 4. It’s a version of Google’s operating system that’s been modified to remove Google apps and services like the Google Play Store, Chrome web browser, Gmail, and Google Maps in the name of privacy and security.
The operating system instead includes open source alternatives to most of those applications. But since /e/OS is based on Android, users can also sideload any closed-source applications they may want to use.
While the operating system is available to download and install on a number of smartphones including Samsung, Google, OnePlus, and Teracube devices, for the past few years the e Foundation has also been selling some phones with /e/OS pre-installed under the Murena brand, and the Murena Fairphone 4 is one of the more recent additions to the lineup, but up until recently it had only been available in Europe.
I wonder if Murena will carry the Fairphone 5? The F5 will probably be on the market by next year, which is when I plan to retire my current phone.
DivestOS is another ROM that has an image available for Fairphones
This is only the first Fairphone Murena has sold in the United States. They’ve also been selling their Murena One, and before that the Teracube 2e, and before that mostly refurbished stuff.
You’re right, obviously. I just updated the post to reflect that!