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Is it really repairable? I mean if a chip in the core module fails, can you buy just the chip and replace it or you need a whole new module? If the latter, then

Is it really repairable? I mean if a chip in the core module fails, can you buy just the chip and replace it or you need a whole new module? If the latter, then what makes it different from any other phone?

styx31 5y ago
It's all other parts: display (90€), camera (50€), battery (30€), etc. The typical pieces which are exposed to the outside and can suffer damages. See: https://shop.fairphone.com/en/spare-parts?phone_type=4 https://shop.fairphone.com/en/spare-parts?phone_type=4
- criddell 5y ago
  Why is the display so expensive? I just had the display in an iPhone replaced and it was $60.
  - ygra 5y ago
    I guess in a typical phone the display is basically a unit that is comprised of the glass, the actual display, and the digitizer sandwiched and glued together; that makes it more than a single component already. And the price difference between the iPhone and the Fairphone one might mostly be demand. There's probably a lot more iPhone display units out there than even Fairphones of all generations.
  - joshuajill 5y ago
    It's more expensive most likely because they're not outsourcing environmental and human rights costs. Also, they are not gathering and selling your data unlike many others.
    - intricatedetail 5y ago
      As I understand it is mostly made in China so it's isn't true.
      - lucideer 5y ago
        They are outsourcing but they're specifically negotiating contracts that guarantee living wages, ethical worker conditions and ethically sourced raw materials, so that's gonna be factored into costs. See: https://www.fairphone.com/en/2020/12/18/living-wage/ https://www.fairphone.com/en/2020/12/18/living-wage/ https://www.fairphone.com/en/category/good-working-conditions/ https://www.fairphone.com/en/category/good-working-condition...
        criddell 5y ago
        According to the articles, that explains about $2 of the difference.
        lucideer 5y ago
        That's the change as of that blogpost: they're using their own initial costings as a baseline so it's still going to be much more than a $2 increase over average manufacturers.
    - Jensson 5y ago
      The only reason it is more expensive is that people will pay the mark-up and they are a for profit company. There is no more reasons than that needed for it to be expensive. The $2 to workers is nice, but the main thing that is used for is marketing as you shared here which allows them to put another $20 mark-up on the item. Of course it is nice that workers gets better conditions, but you'd be better of donating that money instead.
  - inglor_cz 5y ago
    Economies of scale?
temp_account004 5y ago
Marketing
martin_a 5y ago
The main difference, as far as I understand, is, that you are actually able to change these modules with desoldering SMD components and whatnot. Not sure if it's as easy as changing a SD card but from the looks of it, it seems to be that easy.
- steeleduncan 5y ago
  Not quite as easy as an SD card on my 3+, but it is only a few standard screws to remove and replace a piece. Never more than a few minutes.
- intricatedetail 5y ago
  SMD rework may look intimidating, but it is very easy. In most cases way easier to deal with than older tech. If you ever tried to desolder thru hole chip vs e.g. QFN.
14 5y ago
I just went to the Apple store and I couldn’t find any spare parts for my phone only brand new phones. At the fairphone website they offered every spare part possible for sale. So for iPhones you have to get motherboards from unauthorized sellers from places like aliexpress or buy a parts phone off eBay. So yes you can basically replace every part of an iPhone but it is not as simple as asking Apple for the part. Also with Apple they actually lock some functions to parts so if that part breaks you are screwed without apples permission so yourbonly choice would be go to their shop for repair. I’m talking about for example the fingerprint scanner. And I know apple does that for security reasons but as someone who unknowing bought a used iPhone that had the home button replaced and fingerprint scanner didn’t work it would have been nice to replace that button to one that works and let me decide if the security risk is worth using an aftermarket home button. To me the difference seems huge. Apple really doesn’t want you fixing your phone if they could add self destruct when you opened it and get away with it they would.
Vinnl 5y ago
> The only "noncommercial spare part" is the core module, which features the SoC, storage, RAM, device frame, and fingerprint reader. So no, the chip in the core module would require a new core module - which often means buying a new phone (though I replaced it with that of a friend's when my FP 2 started having some issues). The parts most likely to break, though - screen, battery, USB port - are easily replaceable.
rvense 5y ago
It is not open hardware. I don't think you can get schematics for the modules. But it is a lot easier to replace the display or the core board than in most other phones. For one, you open it with a screwdriver, not a hot air gun. And you can get spare parts straight from the manufacturer. Don't think anyone else really does that.
- intricatedetail 5y ago
  You don't need schematics to fix something. E.g. if a chip looks burnt or has corrosion, you could just swap it. If you cannot get individual components, then it's no different than most phones where you also have to swap entire boards.
  - rvense 5y ago
    But the boards are much easier to get to and more easily available.

styx31 5y ago

It's all other parts: display (90€), camera (50€), battery (30€), etc. The typical pieces which are exposed to the outside and can suffer damages. See: https://shop.fairphone.com/en/spare-parts?phone_type=4 https://shop.fairphone.com/en/spare-parts?phone_type=4

criddell 5y ago
Why is the display so expensive? I just had the display in an iPhone replaced and it was $60.
- ygra 5y ago
  I guess in a typical phone the display is basically a unit that is comprised of the glass, the actual display, and the digitizer sandwiched and glued together; that makes it more than a single component already. And the price difference between the iPhone and the Fairphone one might mostly be demand. There's probably a lot more iPhone display units out there than even Fairphones of all generations.
- joshuajill 5y ago
  It's more expensive most likely because they're not outsourcing environmental and human rights costs. Also, they are not gathering and selling your data unlike many others.
  - intricatedetail 5y ago
    As I understand it is mostly made in China so it's isn't true.
    - lucideer 5y ago
      They are outsourcing but they're specifically negotiating contracts that guarantee living wages, ethical worker conditions and ethically sourced raw materials, so that's gonna be factored into costs. See: https://www.fairphone.com/en/2020/12/18/living-wage/ https://www.fairphone.com/en/2020/12/18/living-wage/ https://www.fairphone.com/en/category/good-working-conditions/ https://www.fairphone.com/en/category/good-working-condition...
      - criddell 5y ago
        According to the articles, that explains about $2 of the difference.
        lucideer 5y ago
        That's the change as of that blogpost: they're using their own initial costings as a baseline so it's still going to be much more than a $2 increase over average manufacturers.
  - Jensson 5y ago
    The only reason it is more expensive is that people will pay the mark-up and they are a for profit company. There is no more reasons than that needed for it to be expensive. The $2 to workers is nice, but the main thing that is used for is marketing as you shared here which allows them to put another $20 mark-up on the item. Of course it is nice that workers gets better conditions, but you'd be better of donating that money instead.
- inglor_cz 5y ago
  Economies of scale?

temp_account004 5y ago

Marketing

martin_a 5y ago

The main difference, as far as I understand, is, that you are actually able to change these modules with desoldering SMD components and whatnot. Not sure if it's as easy as changing a SD card but from the looks of it, it seems to be that easy.

steeleduncan 5y ago
Not quite as easy as an SD card on my 3+, but it is only a few standard screws to remove and replace a piece. Never more than a few minutes.
intricatedetail 5y ago
SMD rework may look intimidating, but it is very easy. In most cases way easier to deal with than older tech. If you ever tried to desolder thru hole chip vs e.g. QFN.

14 5y ago

I just went to the Apple store and I couldn’t find any spare parts for my phone only brand new phones. At the fairphone website they offered every spare part possible for sale. So for iPhones you have to get motherboards from unauthorized sellers from places like aliexpress or buy a parts phone off eBay. So yes you can basically replace every part of an iPhone but it is not as simple as asking Apple for the part. Also with Apple they actually lock some functions to parts so if that part breaks you are screwed without apples permission so yourbonly choice would be go to their shop for repair. I’m talking about for example the fingerprint scanner. And I know apple does that for security reasons but as someone who unknowing bought a used iPhone that had the home button replaced and fingerprint scanner didn’t work it would have been nice to replace that button to one that works and let me decide if the security risk is worth using an aftermarket home button. To me the difference seems huge. Apple really doesn’t want you fixing your phone if they could add self destruct when you opened it and get away with it they would.

Vinnl 5y ago

> The only "noncommercial spare part" is the core module, which features the SoC, storage, RAM, device frame, and fingerprint reader. So no, the chip in the core module would require a new core module - which often means buying a new phone (though I replaced it with that of a friend's when my FP 2 started having some issues). The parts most likely to break, though - screen, battery, USB port - are easily replaceable.

rvense 5y ago

It is not open hardware. I don't think you can get schematics for the modules. But it is a lot easier to replace the display or the core board than in most other phones. For one, you open it with a screwdriver, not a hot air gun. And you can get spare parts straight from the manufacturer. Don't think anyone else really does that.

intricatedetail 5y ago
You don't need schematics to fix something. E.g. if a chip looks burnt or has corrosion, you could just swap it. If you cannot get individual components, then it's no different than most phones where you also have to swap entire boards.
- rvense 5y ago
  But the boards are much easier to get to and more easily available.