Fairphone 4 Now Available in the US
Fairphone is finally launching its environmentally-friendly smartphones in the United States through a partnership with Murena. The Fairphone 4, known as the Murena Fairphone 4 in the US, is now available for purchase. The starting price for the device, which comes with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, is $599. For those seeking more storage and performance, there is an option with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage for $679. Additionally, users can expand the storage capacity using a microSD card.
Those prices might seem pretty steep for a two-year-old device with a mid-range Qualcomm chip from 2020, but the Murena Fairphone 4 is much more than pure specs. First, it’s a privacy-focused device with a version of Android that’s separated from Google. Murena’s /e/ operating system avoids Google’s stock apps. For example, instead of Google Maps, you get an open source option by default. The device has its own directory that gives each application a privacy rating. That way, you have information about how each app tracks your data before you install the app.
You can still install apps built by Google. Murena claims to grab apps from the Play Store without sending your data to Google. You can choose to install stock Android, but Murena warns that this will void your warranty. (Fairphone 4 buyers in Europe can opt to buy either Android or /e/ when it’s worth it). Murena plans to provide software updates and security patches for at least five years, while Fairphone offers a five-year hardware warranty.
Fairphone’s ethos is centered around repairability, and that’s why the smartphone is designed for longevity. The Fairphone 4 has a 10/10 repairability score from iFixit. It has a modular design and is said to be the first such phone with an IP rating of IP54. This means that the phone must be protected from dust and rain. No components are glued together and you can replace them with a standard screwdriver.
Murena Fairphone 4 has a 3905 mAh battery and 5G and dual SIM support. On the camera front, there are two 48-megapixel rear cameras and a 25-megapixel selfie camera. The device’s body, camera array, speaker, USB-C port, and 6.3-inch display are all individual parts, and you can buy parts from Murena. However, the Murena Fairphone 4 does not come with a USB cable, power supply or headphones. Murena sells them separately because it encourages buyers to use the cables and adapters they already put in a box.
Although the device is unlocked, T-Mobile and mobile virtual network carriers that use the T-Mobile network are the only recommended carriers for it in the US. Fairphone frames the US debut of the device as a pilot, as the company focuses primarily on the European market. “This collaboration with e/OS/ is a great opportunity for us to pilot device sales in the US market with a long-term partner and learn more about the American market,” Fairphone CEO Eva Gouwens told ReturnByte in a statement.
