Tech company Fairphone has unveiled the latest version of its “ethical smartphone“, this time combining modularity with the option of a minimalist interface that activates with one switch.
Officially called the Fairphone (Gen 6), the device introduces two new features: first, it builds on the modularity that is foundational to the brand with swappable accessories, including a finger loop and card holder.
And second, it adds a bright-coloured switch on the side of the phone that lets users toggle instantly between their regular interface and a “more mindful” stripped-back one where only a few essential apps are shown in plain text.
This mode, which Fairphone is calling Fairphone Moments, replicates something of the experience of today’s design-led “dumbphones” but within a single device.
Fairphone describes the Moments mode as “a simpler, more intentional space” that transforms the entire interface rather than only blocking some apps or notifications.
Users can choose up to five essential apps to include in their menu and can create different Moments profiles for different activities such as working, commuting or spending time with friends.
“This isn’t just another ‘focus mode’,” said Fairphone in a blog post. “It’s a full shift — in how your phone behaves, and how it makes you feel. Because presence shouldn’t be buried under options and menus. It should be right there.”
The Fairphone 6 comes in a more square-edged, industrial-looking form than its predecessor, and with its visible screws, looks similar to the Nothing CMF – another modular phone.
The screws allow users to attach a lanyard accessory or switch out the backplate to incorporate a finger loop or card holder. The finger loop appears to address the issue of phone theft in big cities, with Fairphone saying it offers a “safer, steadier hold”.
The new features come in addition to Fairphone’s established selling point, which is that it tries to make its phones the most ethical and environmentally low-impact in the world.
The phone is composed of modular components that can be swapped out to repair or upgrade the device and extend its lifespan.
To support this, the Fairphone 6 comes with a five-year warranty and eight years of software support, where one year and seven years are the standard, respectively.
Fairphone also manufactures its phones using ever-increasing proportions of recycled or “fair” materials, including Fairtrade gold and Fairmined silver.
Sometimes this means offsetting the use of certain materials by supporting programmes that encourage better practices through “mineral credits” schemes.
The Fairphone 6 runs the Android operating system and comes with Google’s Gemini AI assistant, but an alternate “de-Googled” version of the phone is available through a partnership with Murena for users concerned about data privacy.
The phone comes in Cloud White, Horizon Black and Forest Green, always with lime green as the highlight colour on the Moments switch.
The 50-megapixel main camera, 32-megapixel front camera, 13-megapixel ultra-wide camera, OLED display and battery are among the 12 modules that can be swapped out for repairs or customisation.
The Fairphone 6 shows the company turning its attention to the “fairness” of the user experience, at a time when dissatisfaction when the smartphone is prompting speculation that it could be displaced by a new device.
Fairphone’s previous model, the Fairphone 5, came out in 2023, when the company put its focus focus into reducing the environmental and social impacts of battery mining.
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