teaFairphone, an ethical smartphone brand from the Netherlands, is back with the 6th generation of Android. Using screw-on accessories and user-replaceable batteries, we aim to make repairable phones more modern, modular, affordable and desirable.
The Fairphone 6 is priced at £499 (€599), making it cheaper than its predecessor and going toe-to-toe with budget champions like the Google Pixel 9a and Nothing Phone 3a Pro, while its long-term software support and five-year warranty allow repairs at home. On paper, it sounds like an ideal phone that could predict 10 years out.
The new Fairphone is sleeker than its predecessor, with a modern 6.3-inch 120Hz OLED screen on the front and a recycled plastic body that feels sturdy and high-quality. The off-white color looks great as tested, but it’s also available in green or black. The phone is resistant to rain and splashes, but is not resistant to submersion, so do not drop it in a bathtub or swimming pool.
The back plate is held in place with two exposed Torx screws and hides the battery and other modular components. If necessary, you can simply unscrew and replace it at home.
The power button also acts as a fingerprint scanner, but it is quite thin. If it is flush with the side, it will be harder to press down than necessary. Unfortunately, the volume buttons are right across from the power button and exactly where your fingers would grip, so it’s easy to accidentally press them, which often results in unwanted screenshots or a power off and restart menu. It’s also very easy to accidentally bump your phone when you take it out of your pocket, causing the volume to turn up unnecessarily.
Above the right power button is a large, flashy switch that blocks notifications and turns on Fairphone’s "Moments” minimalist interface, which turns the standard Android home screen into a simple list of essential apps. This is a smart idea for people who want to reduce distractions. However, when you swipe up to quit an app, the regular home screen appears for a moment, which feels like a hack. The switch can be repurposed for other functions, including activating “Do Not Disturb” or activating the torch.
specification
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screen: 6.31-inch 120Hz FHD+ OLED (431ppi)
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Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 7s 3rd generation
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ram: 8GB
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save: 256GB + microSD
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Operating System: android 15
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camera: 50MP main, 13MP ultrawide, 32MP selfie
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Connectivity: 5G, eSIM, Wi-Fi 6E, NFC, Bluetooth 5.4 and GNSS
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Waterproof: IP55 (spray/rain)
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size: 156.5×73.3×9.6mm
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weight: 191.4g
Mid-range performance with expandable storage
The Fairphone 6 is equipped with the same mid-range Qualcomm Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 chip as the Nothing Phone 3a Pro. This chip can’t compete with the best phones in terms of raw power, but it generally feels fast enough in use. It will handle light gaming and most tasks, but will struggle with higher-end titles. The phone has 256GB of storage and a rare microSD card slot for additional storage.
Battery life is reasonable, if not amazing, lasting about 35 hours between charges with about 4-5 hours of active screen use on 5G and Wi-Fi. The Fairphone can be used on peak days, but requires charging at night.
sustainability
The battery retains at least 80% of its original capacity for 1,000 full charge cycles and, along with the remaining 12 module components, can be replaced at home with a screwdriver. The battery costs £35, the screen £78 and the main camera £61. The phone received a 10 out of 10 for repairability from experts iFixit.
The phones are made from 50% recycled or fair materials, and Fairphone publishes a life cycle report.
Barebones Android 15
The phone runs either plain Android 15 with Google services, as reviewed, or a privacy-focused open source version of Android without Google services called /e/OS. Unfortunately, this means the Fairphone 6 won’t run the latest version of Android 16. However, updates will be supported until 2033. That’s about a year longer than the best mainstream phones.
The software is generally uncluttered with little in the way of customization, which is a good thing in most cases. However, it’s a little rough around the edges and lacks some of the bells and whistles that Samsung, Google, and others add to their software.
Especially without the artificial intelligence that other phone manufacturers have crammed into every niche. Google’s Gemini chatbot assistant is there, but it doesn’t have the ability to be activated via voice while the phone is locked. The Fairphone also lacks Google’s excellent Circle to Search feature, which is common to most other phones. This is somewhat unfortunate.
The recent update fixed some bugs, including one where the screen would stutter and freeze after turning on from standby mode. However, the software still lacks the level of polish you’d expect.
camera
The Fairphone has two cameras on the back and one selfie camera on the screen. The primary 50-megapixel camera takes good photos in bright light, but struggles in high-contrast scenes, often misjudging the white balance or looking washed out. Night mode is available, but it’s not as good as you’d expect from a modern smartphone.
A 2x digital zoom is reasonable, but zooming in at 10x means your photos will be full of artifacts. The 13MP ultra-wide camera produces pretty good photos in moderate lighting, with solid detail in the center of the frame, even if the edges are a bit soft. The macro photo mode can produce great close-up images with a little practice, and the 32MP selfie camera takes good photos for the price.
The Fairphone 6 has easily the best camera the company has ever made and gets the job done, but it can’t match its similarly priced competitors.
price
The Fairphone Gen 6 is priced at £499 (€599).
For comparison, Google’s Pixel 9a costs £499, the Nothing Phone 3a Pro costs £449 and the Apple iPhone 16e costs £599.
verdict
The 6th generation Fairphone brought the company into the mainstream with a solid mid-range Android with all the advantages of modular, repairable and more ethical design.
It offers some premium features at a lower price than its predecessor, while still boasting a good screen, nice looks, and reasonable battery life. There’s also a microSD card slot to add more storage, which is an incredibly rare thing in 2026.
The camera is serviceable, but it’s far from the best you can get for your money. The software is stock Android 15. Unfortunately, it’s not up to date, is a bit rough around the edges, and lacks any AI tricks other than Google’s Gemini chatbot. However, Fairphone is slowly fixing bugs and plans to provide support until 2033. A distraction-free Moments mode switch is also a good idea. The chip is fast enough now, but it’s not the most powerful and after 8 years of use it could get quite tired.
The fingerprint scanner isn’t the best, and the placement of the power and volume buttons is an annoying design flaw. Few phones offer a repair-friendly design, but many more mainstream devices offer software support as long as the Fairphone.
Fairphone 6 is the best phone the company has ever made. But things have improved for the rest of the industry, with better access to repairs and longer software support, making the Fairphone harder to recommend to everyone than mainstream devices.
merit: Supports modular accessories, design that can be repaired at home, software support until 2033, recycled and engineered materials, microSD card slot, great screen, 5-year warranty,
disadvantage: It has mid-range performance, the fingerprint scanner and volume button placement sucks, the average camera can’t be submerged, there’s no Android 16 yet, and the software is a bit rough around the edges.