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Seymourpowell design the world's most ethical smartphone

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It's a constant 24 month cycle we've all become sadly accustomed with. The semi-ritualistic shedding of one smartphone for another as our contracts expire and we look to the newest handsets on the market for our next technological fix. The Dutch company Fairphone hopes to break this cycle, and is doing so not just for cost-effective reasons, but for ethical ones. The Fairphone 2 phone not only aims to be long-lasting, sustainable, and easy to repair, but uses conflict-free materials and according to the manufacturers, aims to give “Transparency to the supply process.”

The Fairphone 2 phone not only aims to be long-lasting, sustainable, and easy to repair, but uses conflict-free materials

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As the name suggests this is the second iteration of the smartphone, with the first released to little fanfare back in 2013. That model used tin from conflict-free mines in the Democratic Republic of Congo and tantalum from separate conflict-free mines in the DRC’s Katanga province, and was designed to be adaptable for each user, with dual SIM, removable batteries and the option to use any operating system. Despite the flexibility and ethical standing of the device though, it failed to gain much of an audience outside of its initial crowd funding campaign, selling just 60,000 units.

“No-one in the world truly understands how a mobile phone is made” Bas van Abel

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When the first phone was launched, Fairphone chief executive Bas van Abel said that as a designer, it disturbed him that “No-one in the world truly understands how a mobile phone is made,” and felt that “When you don’t understand how something is made you can’t change it.” So with the Fairphone, he hoped to bring some degree of transparency to the mobile phone market, but it wasn't enough to bring on board those who had been glamoured by the bells and whistles of Samsung and Apple. So the Fairphone 2 is the company's second chance to make a difference in the market, and its stunning new design, speedy Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor and forward-thinking modular elements might just be enough to tip the balance.

The Fairphone 2 boasts a stunning new design, speedy Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor and forward-thinking modular elements

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Fairphone’s chief technology officer Olivier Hebert says the new model allowed the company to take their ambitions for fairness even further, “Paving the way to start gaining greater oversight of the supply chain.” He added that it also allowed them to “Focus on making a phone that lasts longer and gives users a stronger sense of ownership.” It was designed by Fairphone with technology consultancy Hu-Do and Seymourpowell, who advised on the original phone's development, so knew exactly what to bring to the new design and what to keep from the old one. Seymourpowell's head of sustainability Chris Sherwin said of the Fairphone 2: “Everyone owns and understands phones and Fairphone customers tend to be early adopters and innovators, which makes it exciting too. This means ethics and sustainability become normal and understandable, not just for future customers but also for our designers.”

The phone's design that gives it a significantly longer lifespan than conventional smartphones

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Desirable features mooted for the Fairphone 2 include (but are not limited to):-

  • The ability to survive a drop from up to 1.85m (the average height of a Dutch man) on to a concrete surface.

  • A design that gives it a significantly longer lifespan than conventional smartphones with a replaceable outer shell that also acts as a protective case and a rubber rim.

  • An expansion port on the back of the receiver which allows for future upgrades with features such as NFC payments.

  • Built from responsibly-mined minerals with a focus on the Democratic Republic of Congo.

  • Easy repairs, with each replaceable unit connected to the phone’s chassis with a set of colour-coded screws.

  • A competitive price point of £375 with pre-orders open now.

Benjamin Hiorns is a freelance writer and struggling musician from Kidderminster in the UK.

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