its plastic case is as squared off as an ‘80s hatchback

Once you put the Fairphone 2 together, the first thing you notice is how big it is. It’s 11 millimeters thick, and its plastic case is as squared off as an ‘80s hatchback. The 5-inch full HD display is sharp and bright, with a pixel density of 446ppi, but it also has sizable bezels. It’s comfortable enough to hold, but a noticeable presence in your pocket, especially if you’re used to flagship devices. The plastic body is also less classy than most metal-build devices, although I personally like how it feels. It’s kind of tough! Resilient! And the translucent cases are also pretty cool.

More importantly, the bulk makes sense. Designing a phone that’s easily repairable means things can’t be glued together — you have to make space for things like screws and clips that allow you to remove and replace components. The company also claims that the rear of the phone is basically a case in its own right, offering built-in protection. I agree with them on this score. Partly because putting a case on the Fairphone 2 would give it the approximate thickness of a paperback novel, but also because I dropped the phone a few times while testing it (first by accident, then on purpose) and it came away little more than some scuffed plastic.

the first phone to score 10/10 with repair evangelists ifixit

Really, though, this review would have been better served if I had cracked the screen. Sustainability for Fairphone doesn’t just mean ethical supply chains, but also devices you can repair and hang on to. Modern smartphones are notoriously difficult to fix yourself, and that’s if you can even get your hands on the right parts. The Fairphone 2, by comparison, can be deconstructed in minutes. You simply pull off the back case, unclip and slide off the display, and then you have access to the phone’s major components, all removable using just a small Philips screwdriver. It’s the first phone to get a 10/10 score from repair evangelists iFixit, and reading their teardown is enough to give you a geeky contact high — they’re just so happy to have a phone that can be pulled apart.

It’s not a perfect build though. Removing and attaching the rear case can be tricky. The rubber seal around the screen often gets rucked up, like when you force your foot into a shoe and the heel folds over. And the corners of the display seem to just pull in dust like they are equipped with mini tractor beams. Removing the display from the main body also requires a bit of patience (and in my case, a pair of rubber gloves to get a proper grip), and the screws on individual components aren't easy to take out the first time round. More worryingly, reattaching the screen should be done with care. One time after reassembling the device I was left with a glitchy display that wouldn’t recognize my fingers and occasionally went nuts, scrolling erratically. Rebooting the phone and making sure the screen was fully clicked in seemed to fix this, but it wasn’t a heartening experience.

That said, how many other phones are you actually encouraged to take apart? How many phones can you unscrew yourself, piece by piece? If something breaks in the Fairphone 2 then you can buy a spare from the company’s site. On their store right now, a new display will set you back €85, a camera €34, and a core module — containing the chipset, SIM card, and SD slots — costs €316. The company claims that in the future it will offer improved modules so users can upgrade their phone to keep up with the times, and it has also floated the idea of modules that add extra functionality — like, for example, a case with a built-in solar panel for charging on the go.

The camera is poor and the battery life is hit-and-miss

If you buy a Fairphone 2, though, the ability to upgrade won’t just be needed in case parts fail. The phone’s hardware is distinctly midrange, and it’s likely to feel dated after a few years. The main camera, for example, uses a middling eight-megapixel OmniVision sensor, coupled with the stock Android camera app. It’s pretty poor in challenging conditions — low light, fast moving subjects, etc. — and although it’s good enough for snaps for social media, if you care at all about the photos you take, it’ll definitely disappoint. Battery life was also a bit hit-and-miss. The Fairphone 2 seemed to stay alive almost indefinitely on standby, but had moments of sudden draining in day-to-day use, and the 2420mAh battery didn’t always make it through a day of moderate use.