Fairphone 5
By Muhammad Tahir · Updated June 2026 · how we review
Eight years of security support to September 2031 and a phone you can genuinely repair yourself with a screwdriver. The QCM6490 and 90Hz screen are unremarkable for $600 — you are buying the support window and the repairability, not the specification.
Is the 5 still supported?
Official promiseSupported until September 2031 · Buy-by September 2029
✓ Yes — the 5 is supported until September 2031, roughly 5.1 more years.
Fairphone promises 8 years of updates for this phone, so it's supported until September 2031 — buying it today still gets you about 5.1 years of safe use (verified June 2026).
Source: Fairphone's official policy · last verified 2026-06-17 · how we compute this · what happens when support ends
TrueCost
Street price ÷ months of safe use remaining. How we compute it.
28% cheaper than the $600–900 median ($13.51/mo, dying phones excluded)
Should you buy the 5 in 2026?
Pros
- Security support through September 2031 — eight years from launch, the longest we track
- Fully user-repairable with a removable battery and openly sold spare parts
- Five-year warranty as standard
- Fairly sourced and recycled materials, with published supply-chain reporting
- Triple 50MP camera system including an OIS main sensor
Cons
- QCM6490 is a mid-tier industrial chipset, well behind $600 rivals on speed
- 90Hz 6.46-inch OLED where competitors offer 120Hz
- 212g and IP55 only — splash resistant, not immersion proof
Full specifications
Display
| Screen | 6.46-inch OLED, FHD+, 90Hz, Gorilla Glass 5 |
|---|
Performance
| Chipset | Qualcomm QCM6490 (6nm) |
|---|---|
| RAM | 8GB |
| Storage | 256GB |
Cameras
| main | 50MP — f/1.9, PDAF, OIS |
|---|---|
| ultra-wide | 50MP — f/2.2, PDAF |
| front | 50MP |
Battery & charging
| Battery | 4,200 mAh |
|---|---|
| Charging | 30W wired; user-removable battery |
Build
| Dimensions | 161.6 × 75.8 × 9.6 mm |
|---|---|
| Weight | 212 g |
| Materials | Recycled/fair-sourced materials, removable back, modular repairable design |
| Water resistance | IP55 (also MIL-STD-810H) |
Software & connectivity
| Software | Android 13 at launch (upgradable through Android 15+) |
|---|---|
| Connectivity | 5G, Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.2, NFC, USB-C |
| Update policy | 5 OS upgrades · 8 years of security updates (official promise) |
Better-value alternatives
Similar price, lower cost per month of safe ownership.
Frequently asked questions
How long will the Fairphone 5 be supported?
Five OS upgrades and eight years of security patches from its September 2023 release, so security support runs to September 2031. That is the longest window of any phone in our database — Fairphone has publicly targeted ten years and committed to eight. Around five years remain.
How repairable is the Fairphone 5 really?
Genuinely, not as marketing. The back panel comes off by hand, the battery lifts out without tools, and the screen, cameras, USB-C port, speaker and earpiece are individually replaceable modules held in with standard Phillips screws. Fairphone sells every part directly with guides. iFixit rated it 10/10. Nothing else at this price comes close.
Is the Fairphone 5 worth $600 given the hardware?
Purely on specification, no — a $350 phone will outperform it. The case rests on total cost of ownership: eight years of patches, a five-year warranty, and the ability to replace a battery for around €40 rather than buying a new phone. Spread over eight years that is roughly $6 per month of safe use, which is competitive with far cheaper phones you would replace twice in the same period.
Should I buy the Fairphone 5 or the Fairphone 6?
The Fairphone 6 costs around $300 more but is a better phone in every practical way: a faster Snapdragon 7s Gen 3, a 120Hz adaptive LTPO display, 193g instead of 212g, and support running two years longer to June 2033. The Fairphone 5's argument is price — if the eight-year window and repairability are what you want, it delivers both for less.
Compare it
Specs are collected from manufacturer documentation; prices reflect major US retailers and change often. Support end dates follow each brand's official policy (or, for Apple, its documented historical pattern). Last verified 2026-06-17.