Phones are becoming more expensive than ever, so my advice is to stick with them for a minimum of three years. Although the Fairphone 6+ is technically classified as a mid-range phone, the philosophy of the Dutch company is modular phones built to last – and the Fairphone 6+ stays true to that.
You could say that hardware and software support are things that it takes much more seriously than other phone manufacturers, but in a segment dominated by the likes of the Pixel 10a and iPhone 17e, the Fairphone 6+ faces a tough challenge to convince people to pay more than the competition.
In my Fairphone 6+ review, I’ll tell you if it’s the best cheap phone competitor and if it’s worth paying $649 for it.
Latest Videos FromTom the guide
Fairphone 6+ review: Cheats
- What is it? A mid-range Android phone built around modularity, user-serviceable repairability and long-term durability.
- Who is it for? Conscious consumers who prioritize longevity, with the ability to do repairs themselves, and anyone who doesn’t want to buy a new phone after 3 years.
- What does it cost? The Fairphone 6+ costs $649 and comes with 12GB of RAM, 256GB of storage, and is available in three colors: Forest Green, Cobalt Blue, and Horizon Black.
- What do we like? We love its industry-leading 5-year warranty with software support through 2033, reliable 13-plus-hour battery life, minimalist “moments” mode, and a fairly bright screen.
- What do we not like? Its $649 asking price is higher than its key rivals, lackluster Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 performance, and subpar cameras.
Fairphone 6+ review: Specifications
Swipe to scroll horizontally
Fairphone 6+ | |
|---|---|
Starting price | $649 |
Display | 6.31 inch 20:9 FHD (1,116 x 2,484) AMOLED |
Refresh rate | 10-120 Hz |
chipset | Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 |
RAM | 12GB |
storage | 8 mbg |
Rear cameras | 50MP (f/1.6) main, 13MP (f/2.2) ultra-wide |
Front camera | 32 MP (f/2) |
Battery size | 4,415 mAh |
Charging speed | 30W cable |
Size | 6.61 x 2.89 x 0.38 inches / 156.5 x 73.3 x 9.6 mm |
Weight | 6.8 ounces / 193 grams |
Colors | Forest Green, Cobalt Blue, Horizon Black |
Fairphone 6+ review: The oops
Replaceable back cover
I miss the days when phones offered replaceable batteries, easy-to-access microSD card slots, and SIM trays that didn’t require a special tool to open. That’s why I appreciate the premise of its modular design.
You can simply remove the rear plastic cover and replace it with functional accessories – like a wallet add-on, which works much like the MagSafe wallets I often test. In addition, there is a finger loop attachment for extra grip, a lanyard loop, and several protective cases.
Class leading 5-year warranty
Electronics eventually break or wear out, but the Fairphone 6+ offers the best warranty coverage around with an outstanding five-year warranty. That’s remarkably generous compared to the standard one-year limited warranty that comes with most phones.
That means if an internal component is defective, Fairphone covers both parts and labor. The only things not covered are the usual exclusions: normal wear and tear such as cosmetic scratches, physical drops, water damage and theft. A
At the same time, it offers do-it-yourself repairability that is unheard of in modern times. Modern phones are notoriously difficult to repair, often requiring special tools to open them, but the Fairphone 6+ makes it a breeze – and the prices for spare parts aren’t terrible.
A minimalist mode with the flip of a switch
As much as I sometimes feel like a phone addict based on my screen time data, it’s nice to have a quick way to get things back. That’s the premise of Fairphone’s Moments, a mode triggered by sliding the bright yellow switch on the side of the chassis – transforming the standard Android 16 interface into a clean, minimalist launcher.
Not only can I select up to five essential apps, but I can also create custom Moments profiles that I can switch on the fly. This distraction-free setup lets me take a breather from all the pings, badges and alerts my phone is constantly throwing at me.
Software support until 2033
Budget and mid-range phones don’t usually get the same software longevity as premium flagships, but the Fairphone 6+ comes with guaranteed support until 2033.
That’s welcome news, ensuring that it continues to receive major Android OS upgrades and security patches for years to come. It ships with Android 16 out of the box, and I hope Android 17 is already on the way.
Decent display and battery
By no means is it the brightest panel on a mid-range phone, but the 6.31-inch AMOLED display on the Fairphone 6+ has its merits where it matters most: outdoor visibility.
With a peak brightness output of 1,471 nits, I can clearly see what is on the screen without retreating into the shadows. It also helps that the panel delivers punchy color reproduction and offers wide viewing angles.
Swipe to scroll horizontally
| Header Cell – Column 0 | High brightness (nits) | DCI-P3 (%) | Delta-E color accuracy (lower is better) |
|---|---|---|---|
Fairphone 6+ | 1,471 | 110.7 (Boost) / 74.9 (Natural) | 0.27 (Boost) / 0.26 (Natural) |
iPhone 17e | 1,002 | 89.6 | 0.21 |
Pixel 10a | 1,896 | 94.2 (Adaptive) / 83.8 (Neutral) | 0.24 / 0.20 |
The endurance is equally reliable thanks to its 4,415mAh battery cell. In our custom battery drain test, the Fairphone 6+ clocked in at 13 hours and 19 minutes on a single charge with its refresh rate set to the default 90Hz – getting me comfortably through a full day of mixed real-world use.
I also appreciate how fast it is charged with its 30W speed, reaching 39% in just 15 minutes and 71% in 30 minutes.
Swipe to scroll horizontally
Average Battery Life (Hrs:Mins) | Charging % in 15 minutes | Charging % in 30 minutes | |
|---|---|---|---|
Fairphone 6+ | 13:19 | 39% | 71% |
iPhone 17e | 12:35 p.m | 31% | 59% |
Pixel 10a | 15:16 | 31% | 64% |
Fairphone 6+ review: The down
Dull camera performance
Everyone knows that the most important thing for me is the camera performance. Unfortunately, the Fairphone 6+ is well behind the curve with severely over-processed results. It has a dual-camera setup consisting of a 50MP main sensor paired with a 13MP ultrawide, alongside a 32MP selfie camera around the front.
Photos routinely suffer from an over-processed look enhanced by aggressive artificial sharpening. As you’ll see in many of the examples I’ve included below, it also has trouble neutralizing hard highlights – resulting in those areas being overexposed. In low light, the camera leans heavily on aggressive noise reduction, which easily makes fine textures look blurry.
Lackluster processing muscle
Swipe to scroll horizontally
| Header Cell – Column 0 | Fairphone 6+ | iPhone 17e | Pixel 10a |
|---|---|---|---|
chipset | Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 | Apple A19 | Tensor G4 |
Geekbench 6 (single-core/multi-core) | 1,314 / 3,674 | 3,606 / 9,229 | 1,694 / 4,501 |
3DMark Wild Life Original Unlimited (Score / fps) | 4,747 / 28.47 | 18,533 / 110.9 | 9,746 / 58.49 |
I know enough to expect mid-range phones to dial back their performance to meet lower price points, but the Fairphone 6+, despite packing Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 7s Gen 3, falls flat. Benchmark tests show that its Geekbench 6 scores of 1,314 (single-core) and 3,674 (multi-core) trail its main competitors.
There’s an even bigger divide with its graphics processing performance, seeing as its 28.47 fps average frame rate in 3DMark’s Wild Life Original Unlimited test is far too choppy for my liking. In fact, it hinders the experience, as games I play on a daily basis, such as Age of Origins and Diablo Immortal, suffer from noticeable lags and frame drops.
Lightning design
If there is a poster child for generic smartphone design, the Fairphone 6+ is it. I’ll be the first to say it deserves credit for its modularity and sustainable sourcing, but the overall look is strictly utilitarian. It’s noticeably blocky, sports thick display bezels, and features an understated rear camera module that makes it look more like an enterprise device than a modern consumer handset.
Fairphone 6+ review: Bottom line
The Fairphone 6+ isn’t for everyone, but it succeeds at what it does. If you really care about repairability, sustainable manufacturing, and modularity, this is the phone for you. Personally, I care about two of the three – but its price gives me serious pause.
At $649, the Fairphone 6+ is noticeably more expensive than the iPhone 17e and Pixel 10a. The higher out-of-pocket costs give most shoppers pause and might prevent them from even considering it. However, it is backed by a class-leading five-year extended warranty and software support that extends well into 2033.
These are two critical factors that most people are quick to overlook, making it an investment that could easily survive two or three conventional upgrade cycles – just as long as you’re willing to live with mid-tier processing and subpar cameras.