Fairphone 2

Started as a campaign to increase awareness for the use of conflict minerals in consumer electronics, Fairphone released the first images of its new smartphone design.

Established in 2013, Fairphone has already produced and sold 60,000 first edition Fairphones to buyers who believe that their purchases can contribute to a fairer economy.

Their commitment allowed Fairphone to start making a positive impact across the consumer electronics value chain in mining, design, manufacturing and life cycle. The company’s first step was to prove that social values and profitability can be combined to change business practices for the better.

The Fairphone 2 assembled front and back

The Fairphone 2 – expected to be released in autumn – will incorporate and expand upon the initiatives that were started with the first Fairphone, including sourcing conflict-free tin and tantalum from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, investing in a second worker-controlled welfare fund with its new production partner in China and improving the e-waste recycling program it started in Ghana.

In 2014, Fairphone took a major step in its strategy with the decision to invest in an original design, allowing the company to expand upon its ambitions for fairness. This design approach improves Fairphone’s oversight of its supply chain and ability to increase transparency and positive social impact. This includes better use, control and traceability of materials, the possibility to select and build stronger relationships with individual (second-tier) suppliers, as well as the opportunity to gain more influence over production processes.

Moreover, designing the new phone from the inside out gives Fairphone the ability to integrate its values into the phone itself, focusing on increasing the product’s longevity and sense of ownership among users by employing a game-changing modular architecture.