What you need to know
- Fairphone 2 to get the last security update this week.
- The device first launched with Android 5.1 Lollipop in 2015.
- It currently runs on Android 10, and the company assures to supply spare parts till the stock lasts.
In early January, Fairphone announced that its seven-year-old Fairphone 2 would receive its last update in March, and that is finally happening, the company announced.
The Fairphone 2 is officially retiring this month as it is now getting the final update, which happens to be a security update. In a recent tweet, the Dutch company has officially bid adieu to the Fairphone 2, launched in 2015.
7 years of innovation, modularity & community-driven change. Fairphone 2 is retiring, but its legacy lives on. To the dedicated community keeping sustainable tech & modular design alive, we salute you 💙. Final security update now available 📱🪛. #Fairphone2Forever pic.twitter.com/JPaEVgyGiJMarch 7, 2023
The device that shipped with Android 5.1 Lollipop back in the day now runs on Android 10, meaning it has seen a fair amount of significant updates over the course of seven years. Though the said Android version is dated, the same is true of the chipset the Fairphone 2 runs on, which is the Snapdragon 801 by Qualcomm.
As per the January announcement from Fairphone, the device will continue to work normally as any Android device out there but without security updates as we advance. Fairphone 2 users might have to be careful in running their apps on the device, especially those with their personal information, which is not recommended.
As for the spare parts, Fairphone has assured that some parts will remain available except for the bottom module, provided there is enough demand from active users till the supplies last.
For those who aren’t interested anymore in the Fairphone 2 and are willing to recycle the device, they can proceed with the process. The company also offers a €50 store voucher through its Reuse and Recycling Program. However, those who want to recycle it need to return it by the end of this month.
There is some good news for users who still want to use their Fairphone 2 and don’t want to abandon it. A LineageOS user has, through Twitter, assured that they would lend their custom /e/OS support to the Fairphone 2 for at least a year more, which sounds promising.
Users may also be interested in checking out the much newer Fairphone 4 if they want updated hardware.
