PHONE | £619 from Laptops Direct www.snipca.com/47847
Green screen
Fairphone doesn’t release new phones as often as its rivals – we reviewed its predeccesor the Fairphone 4 back in Issue 621. This is a deliberate policy, because the Dutch company that specialises in sustainable tech wants its phones to last for years. Buy the Fairphone 5 and you’re guaranteed five Android updates and at least eight years of security updates.
To ensure product longevity the Fairphone 4 had eight distinct components that could easily be replaced or updated if needed. This model ups that to 10 exchangeable parts, including the screen, battery, camera and USB-C port.
It’s powered by the modest Qualcomm QCM6490 chip, and has 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. The processor has been chosen for its stability and guaranteed long-term updates, rather than its speed.
In our benchmark tests, its performance level is on a par with our current favourite Android phone, the Google Pixel 7a (www. snipca.com/46332, reviewed in Issue 660). That sounds like a plus point until you realise the Fairphone 5 costs £170 more. It’s also very likely to feel pretty sluggish by 2028, as updates and app improvements take their toll.
It’s chunkier than most rivals because of its modular design. Fairphone has shaved off a couple of millimetres in thickness compared with the 4, but it still feels hefty to hold. Still, it sits well in the hand and the plastic rear means it doesn’t slip across smooth surfaces.
The right-hand edge accommodates the power button with a built-in fingerprint scanner, but this works much better than on the 4. An improved IP55 rating means it’ll be protected against a heavy downpours, but you shouldn’t risk submerging it in water. As you’d expect, it’s made, from 100-percent recycled plastic.
The screen probably r
