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A phone costs about 17 million VND but allows users to replace the battery, screen and USB-C port themselves, Fairphone Gen. Is 6+ proving that smartphones don't have to become trash just because a small component is broken?
Fairphone is taking a particularly important step forward by bringing the Fairphone Gen. 6+ into the US market. This is not simply a story of a European brand selling more phones in a new country. Fairphone is bringing to the US a hardware philosophy that almost goes against the modern smartphone trend, the device is designed so that the owner can open the device, replace components and continue to use it for many years. (WIRED)
1. Fairphone Gen. 6+ where is the difference?
The most notable point of Fairphone Gen. 6+ is not a camera, screen or a flagship chip. The core value lies in the ability to repair.
According to information released when the product entered the US, the device achieved a repairability score of 10 out of 10 from iFixit, has many user-replaceable components and comes with a 5-year warranty policy. Software support is targeted until 2033. (WIRED)
This philosophy has clearly appeared on Fairphone Gen. 6 previously. Fairphone designed the device with a modular structure and allows for replacementall components instead of forcing users to change the whole phone. The battery is also removable, a feature that was once very popular on smartphones but is now almost gone on high-end models from Apple, Samsung and Google. (Fairphone)
Category Fairphone Gen. 6+
6.31 inch LTPO P-OLED screen
Scan frequency 10 to 120 Hz
Resolution 1116 x 2484 pixels
Snapdragon 7s Gen 4 chip
12 GB RAM
256 GB UFS 3.1 memory
microSD memory card
Main camera 50 MP, OIS
13 MP wide-angle camera
32 MP front camera
Battery 4,415 mAh, removable
Charging about 30 W
Water and dust resistant IP55
5G connection, Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.4, NFC
Android 16 operating system
Outstanding new color Cobalt Blue
Gene Configuration. 6+ indicates this is primarily a mid-life upgrade. Compared to Fairphone Gen. 6 uses Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 and 8 GB RAM, the new version switches to Snapdragon 7s Gen 4 and 12 GB RAM, while most of the remaining hardware platform is retained. (Android Authority)
2. About 17 million VND but what Fairphone sells is not performance
US price of Fairphone Gen. 6+ was announced at 650 USD, equivalent to about 17.01 million VND according to the reference exchange rate on August 19, 2026. The version using the /e/OS operating system costs 699 USD. (WIRED)
If you just put the configuration on the scale, about 17 million VND for Snapdragon 7s Gen 4 is clearly not a bargain in terms of performance. In the same market, users can find many Samsung, Google, Motorola or OnePlus smartphones with more powerful configurations.
But Fairphone is selling something else, lifecycle controlof the phone.
A replacement screen is announced for about 90 USD, equivalent to about 2.36 million VND. USB-C port costs about 20 USD, equivalent to about 524,000 VND. The battery costs about 40 USD, equivalent to about 1.05 million VND. (WIRED)
That creates a very different usage model. When the battery dies, the user replaces the battery. When the USB-C port is broken, replace the USB-C port. When the screen breaks, replace the screen. A phone doesn't have to be thrown away just because one component is worth much less than the entire device.
3. This is the reason why Fairphone can make Apple, Samsung and Google pay attention
Apple, Samsung and Google have significantly increased software support times and access to repair parts in recent years. However, modern smartphones are still mainly designed with a highly integrated structure.
Fairphone goes in the opposite direction.
Instead of viewing repairability as an after-sales service, the company made it part of the product architecture.
Fairphone Gen. 6 had a removable 4,415 mAh battery, 120 Hz LTPO OLED display, 256 GB memory and a microSD slot supporting up to 2 TB. Fairphone also commits to at least seven Android upgrades and long-term security support until 2033. (Fairphone)
This is an important difference. A phone can only really last long if both sides exist, the hardware can be repaired and the software continues to be updated.
4. Economic problem of a long-lasting phone
Suppose a user buys a smartphone for about 17 million VND and uses it for two years then changes the device, chThe hardware allocation fee is equivalent to about 8.5 million VND per year.
If a Fairphone can serve 5 years by replacing batteries or components when needed, the initial cost of purchasing the device is about 3.4 million VND per year, not including repair components.
Assumed usage time Machine cost is about 17 million VND allocated per year
2 years about 8.5 million VND
3 years about 5.67 million VND
5 years about 3.4 million VND
7 years about 2.43 million VND
This is an illustrative calculation only and does not include repair costs, resale value or opportunity costs. However, it shows why equipment longevity can be just as important as the initial purchase price.
Smartphones are cheaper but having to be replaced frequently does not necessarily create a lower total cost of ownership.
5. Fairphone also bets on materials and supply chains
Fairphone says more than 50 percent of the materials by weight on the Gen. 6 belongs to the group of fair or recycled materials. The list includes aluminium, copper, steel, indium, magnesium, nickel, plastics, rare earths, tin and recycled zinc, in addition to gold, silver, cobalt and tungsten included in its mining or equity sourcing programmes. (Fairphone)
The company also claims to use green energy in production and pursues an e-waste neutral model, meaning each device sold is associated with a corresponding recovery activity to promote reuse, repair or recycling. (Fairphone)
Cobalt Blue color on Gen. 6+ therefore has more than just an aesthetic meaning. Fairphone uses it to further bring up the condition issuelabor and cobalt supply into the product story. (WIRED)
6. Fairphone Gen. 6+ still has obvious trade-offs
The ability to repair does not turn the device into a perfect flagship.
Snapdragon 7s Gen 4 belongs to the mid-range segment. The 4,415 mAh battery is not large when placed next to many Android smartphones that currently exceed 6,000 mAh, even 7,000 mAh. The IP55 standard is also lower than the IP68 commonly found on high-end smartphones.
The USB-C port still only transmits data at the USB 2.0 standard on the Gen. 6. This is a pity for a device aiming for a long life cycle, especially as Android is increasingly expanded to external screen and desktop experiences. (Fairphone)
So buyers are making a pretty clear trade-off. They sacrifice some performance, camera, battery and some high-end amenities in exchange for repairability, removable battery, microSD, long support times and a more sustainable manufacturing philosophy.
7. Why is Fairphone Gen. 6+ is especially important in the US
The US smartphone market has long focused strongly on a few big brands, especially Apple and Samsung. Fairphone is unlikely to change the sales balance in the short term.
But the company doesn't necessarily need to sell tens of millions of devices to make an impact.
The official appearance of a smartphone with a 10 out of 10 repairability score, a 5-year warranty, and the ability for users to purchase key components to repair themselves creates a very different reference standard for American consumers. (WIRED)
The question from here is no longer simply whether Fairphone is powerful enoughcompete with Samsung Galaxy or Google Pixel or not.
The bigger question is if a small company can design a modern smartphone with 120 Hz OLED, 5G, NFC, OIS camera, Android 16, removable battery, and easy-to-repair construction, why isn't similar repairability more common on smartphones that sell tens of millions of devices each year?
Fairphone Gen. The 6+ may not be the most powerful Android in America. It is also difficult to become the best-selling smartphone.
But in an industry that often persuades customers to upgrade after a few years, Fairphone is trying to sell a completely different idea: a good phone isn't necessarily the one that makes you want to buy a new phone soon, but may be the one that makes you wait to buy the next one.
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