The Fairphone 2 Receives Final Software Update After 7 Years of Continuous Support
TL;DR
- The Fairphone 2 just received its final software update.
- This means the device received seven years of continuous software support.
- The phone rides off into the sunset on Android 10, but started with Android 5 Lollipop.
In the world of Android, Samsung is the best top-ten OEM regarding Android support commitments. The company offers four Android upgrades and five years of security patches for most of its devices — including mid-rangers. This is a better commitment than even Google provides to Pixel phones.
However, even Samsung can’t compete with Fairphone. Today, that company issued the final update to the Fairphone 2, which launched way back in 2015. When it debuted, the phone had Android 5 Lollipop. It reached end-of-life status with Android 10 over seven years later and with 43 updates under its belt.
Obviously, Android 10 is way behind the current stable version of the operating system, which is Android 13. However, the phone has received a steady stream of security patches and is up-to-date enough to make it safe to use and compatible with most apps on the Google Play Store. Since today’s update is its last, however, Fairphone advises caution with continuing to use the device after May 2023.
Fairphone originally committed to “three to five years” of support for the Fairphone 2. That means that not only did it originally commit to a lengthier support timeline than every other major manufacturer, but it even bested its original commitment. This all makes a lot of sense when you remember the point of the Fairphone, which is to provide an ethically sourced and environmentally friendly smartphone. A major aspect of those two things is long software support.
“The end of life for Fairphone 2 is bittersweet because, in the ideal world, we’d support our devices indefinitely, but due to industry and financial constraints, that is simply not feasible,” said Fairphone’s head of software longevity Agnes Crepet. “But we are happy we can say we supported Fairphone 2 for an unprecedented seven years.”
The most recent device on the company’s roster is the Fairphone 4, which launched in 2021.
The Fairphone 2 has just received its final software update, marking the end of seven years of continuous software support. This is an impressive feat, especially when compared to other major manufacturers in the Android world. Samsung, for example, offers four Android upgrades and five years of security patches for most of its devices, including mid-rangers. However, Fairphone has bested them all by providing support for the Fairphone 2 for an unprecedented seven years.
When the Fairphone 2 was first launched in 2015, it had Android 5 Lollipop. Today, it has reached end-of-life status with Android 10 and 43 updates under its belt. While Android 10 is way behind the current stable version of the operating system, which is Android 13, the phone has received a steady stream of security patches and is up-to-date enough to make it safe to use and compatible with most apps on the Google Play Store.
Fairphone originally committed to “three to five years” of support for the Fairphone 2, but it has exceeded its original commitment. This is in line with the company’s goal of providing an ethically sourced and environmentally friendly smartphone, which includes long software support. The Fairphone 2’s end-of-life status is bittersweet, but Fairphone is happy to have supported the device for an unprecedented seven years.
Fairphone’s head of software longevity, Agnes Crepet, said, “The end of life for Fairphone 2 is bittersweet because, in the ideal world, we’d support our devices indefinitely, but due to industry and financial constraints, that is simply not feasible. But we are happy we can say we supported Fairphone 2 for an unprecedented seven years.”
The Fairphone 4 is the most recent device on the company’s roster, having launched in 2021.
