Fairphone is one of a kind in the Android industry; It provides a smartphone that can be repaired, lengthy software support times, and a selection of online parts. “When is Fairphone coming to the US?” asks the Dutch electronics manufacturer, which has mostly concentrated on the European market. is one of the most frequently asked questions. So, stop asking! The Fairphone 4 is finally coming to the United States, but there are some restrictions.
In collaboration with Murena, the primary developer behind the /e/ Android fork, Fairphone is launching a “US pilot” program to sell the Fairphone 4 in the United States. Murena has been selling Fairphones in Europe for some time. Instead of Fairphone’s Android build, the /e/ OS comes pre-installed on them. Now, the deal is with the US. The telephone costs $599.
“Based on the feedback we have received, we know that many people in the United States are interested in Fairphone.” In the press release, Eva Gouwens, CEO of Fairphone, stated, Nevertheless, our primary focus right now is on the European market. This partnership with e/OS/ is a fantastic chance for us to test out selling devices in the US market with an established partner and gain additional knowledge of the American market.
The “App Lounge,” which is packed with Android APKs and progressive web apps, is a “fully deGoogled,” “privacy by design” fork of Android that substitutes alternatives provided by /e/ for Google’s apps and services. You will receive the open-source microG reimplementation in place of Google Play Services. OpenStreetMap-based Magic Earth will replace Google Maps. Cloud data can be stored on the Murena cloud based on NextCloud or self-hosted by the user. This will be a big change from regular Android if you just wanted a phone that could be fixed. However, it should be possible to flash the regular, Google-approved builds of Android.
To recap, the Fairphone 4 was released in 2021 with 6GB of RAM, 128GB of storage, and a Qualcomm Snapdragon 750G SoC. The 3905 mAh battery can be removed by the user, just like in the days of sealed phones. Because the camera array, loudspeaker, USB-C port, display, and phone body are all separate components, the entire phone is designed to be modular with repairable parts. Normally, Fairphone sells the parts for easy repairs on its website, but we are told that Murena will sell them for the US.
