Amsterdam-based Fairphone

[Punished07]

This is another article from the December 2013 issue of Popular Science magazine. The only problem I can see is that it is currently only available in Europe.

 

http://www.popsci.com/bown/2013/product/fairphone

 

Amsterdam-based Fairphone engineered its device to have a clean start and a long afterlife. The phone is assembled using conflict-free metals and fair labor practices, and it ships unlocked, with replaceable parts and open-source Android OS. It also has 16 GB of memory, 8-megapixel cameras, and a quad-core CPU. Fairphone currently ships only to Europe, but it’s working on U.S. distribution for next year. $440

 

 

Here are the full technical specs from the Fairphone website.

 

 

 

 

 

http://buy-a-phone-start-a-movement.fairphone.com/en/specs/

 

The company lists the following points about the phone.

 

Conflict-free resources

Confilict Free Rescources

We want our smartphone to be made only from good stuff. That means sourcing raw materials that don’t fund armed forces or violent conflicts, from mines that treat people like the human beings they are. Fairphone contains:

Conflict-free tin 
Our soldering paste uses tin from conflict-free mines in the South Kivu Province, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

Conflict-free tantalum
The tantalum in our capacitors is extracted from coltan sourced from Mai Baridi, Kisengo and Luba – conflict-free mines located in the northern part of the Katanga Province, DRC.

ROAD MAP – Precious Materials
Conflict-free minerals are just the first step. We believe that every resource used to create our smartphones is precious, including the people that contribute to the process. When you buy this phone, you’ll help change the way the industry sources, processes and perceives these precious materials.

 

Worker Welfare

 

From the mines to the factories, we want every worker involved in creating this smartphone to earn a fair wage. Beyond monetary benefits, our ultimate goal is to ensure that employees work in safe conditions that comply with environmental regulations.

For our first phone, we’ve focused on our factory in China, including creating a fund to improve worker’s wages and working conditions and open discussions between workers and their employers.

ROAD MAP – Made with Care
The products you cherish most are the ones made with care. Learn more about the passion, commitment and empowerment this phone delivers at every step of the supply chain.

E-Waste Programs

Part of improving the electronics supply chain is considering the full lifecycle. For us, it’s not only about responsibly producing new phones; it’s also about finding better ways to deal with electronics that have reached the end of their lifespan.

Reducing e-waste in the developing world 
Our phones are just starting their lives, so our first recycling efforts will focus on other phones already in circulation. For every Fairphone sold, €3 is reserved for setting up projects in countries where safe e-waste recycling is not yet facilitated. For this project we work together with Closing the Loop, a foundation that maximizes the reuse and recycling of phones worldwide by setting up pragmatic projects locally.

Sell it back 
Ready to buy your Fairphone? That’s great – but don’t forget about your old phone! Donate it to a good cause or sell it back using recycling services like GSMloket(NL/BE) Techreturns (NL/IT) Simply Drop (UK) or Wirkaufens (DE). In the future, a new buyback program will be introduced just for Fairphones.

ROAD MAP – Lasting Value 
Reduce, reuse, refurbish, recycle. Our end goal is fewer phones in circulation – not more! Find out how purchasing a Fairphone impacts the complete lifecycle of mobile phones.

 

Technical Specs

We’re not just a bunch of do-gooders; we’re making a super cool, high-performance smartphone packed with features bound to impress.

Fairphone specs:

• Dragontrail glass: Ultra thin and light; super durable and scratch-resistant
• Mediatek 6589 chipset: Quad core CPU for faster processing and page loading
• 16 GB internal memory: For music, movies, apps, games and more
• qHD display: 4.3 inches of touch-screen goodness
• Dual front/ rear camera: 8 mp + 1.3 mp for photos and video calls
• Android OS (4.2 Jelly Bean): Special interface developed by Kwame Corporation (Also open!)

But that’s just the beginning. Go here for the full list of specs plus our list of suppliersto learn more about each and every element in our smartphone.

ROAD MAP – Smart Design 
We want our smartphone to stand the test of time and change the mentality that electronics are disposable. That’s why every element is carefully selected for optimum performance today and well into the future.

 

 

Open, Flexible Design

Our smartphone is built to last with unique design features that keep up with your lifestyle, take you into the future and offer radical openness to make it truly yours.

Fairphone design features:

• Dual SIM: Seamlessly switch between two SIM cards. End reliance on a single provider or the need to carry two phones. Dual SIM also increases the phone’s usefulness during the second phase of its life in developing countries.
• Removable batteries: Extend the phone’s lifespan or boost your power when there’s no time to charge. It also makes recycling easier.
• Root access: Install your preferred operating system and take control of your data.

ROAD MAP – Smart Design 
Once you buy our smartphone it’s truly yours. We’ve designed it with the firm belief that if you can’t open it, you don’t own it. See the other smart features we’re developing to offer an alternative to provider and manufacturers that define what we’re “allowed” to do with the devices we purchase.

 

Transparency

Fairphone costs €325. How did we come up with that price? Well, it’s not an easy question. But we’ve tried our best by creating an Infographic and Key to account for every euro in the phone, and guiding you through the process of getting a startup off the ground. We’ve written a whole blog about it which you can read here, or just go ahead and download the Cost Breakdown here.

We also want to be as open as possible about our production processes and where the materials come from. Download our List of Suppliers to learn more about the elements that go into our smartphone.

Thanks to your pre-orders and your commitment to be a part of the process to create a fair smartphone, we easily achieved our initial target of 5000 orders by 14 June. Your payment has helped start production and has guaranteed delivery of the first phones in autumn 2013. In addition, using the model of crowdfunding has helped Fairphone maintain its independence as a social enterprise, so thank you.

ROAD MAP – Clear Deals 
We’re a social venture with a new way of doing business. When you buy our smartphone, we want you to know exactly where your money is going. Learn more about what your purchase makes possible.