Fairphone 3: the ethical, environmentally friendly, modular phone 'that cares'

Fairphone is not a new name in the smartphone market, but it's not one that everyone is aware of. The company has a strong ethical and environmental stance, producing handsets that are gentle on the environment, the people producing them, and are easily repaired.

Now the company has announced the Fairphone 3. Due for release next month, the Android handset is a decent mid-ranger which is likely to attract more interest than its two predecessors. So what's all the fuss about?

The Fairphone 3 is billed as "the phone that cares for people and planet", and not without good reason. The phone is ethically produced not only in terms of the way the workers who make it are treated, but also the materials that are used. Recycled and sustainable materials are at the heart of Fairphone, and the modular design means that damaged parts can be easily swapped out without the need to replace the entire phone.

As the Fairphone 3 is a mid-range phone, the specs are not going to challenge the likes of the iPhone or top Samsungs, but you get a solid phone for your money (€450 or $500), and the sense of satisfaction that comes with knowing that the phone exploits neither the planet nor people.

The phone has a 5.65-inch 18:9 display, Snapdragon 632, and 4GB of RAM. There's 64GB of storage (which is expandable thanks to the inclusion of a microSD slot), a removable 3,000mAh battery, dual-SIM ports, fingerprint reader, 12MP rear camera, 8MP front camera... and a headphone jack. Android 9 comes pre-installed.

See what Fairphone CEO Eva Gouwens has to say about the new handset and ethical manufacturing in this video:

You can find out more about the Fairphone 3 here. Pre-orders are now open, with handsets due to ship next month.