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Ifixit gives fairphone 5 a 10/10 on repairability and maintanence (www.ifixit.com)

submitted 11 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

61 comments fedilink hide all child comments

While they were happy with what the fairphone 4 brought to the table, they seem to like what was changed for the fairphone 5.
What are you guys' opinions on this? A welcome change? would you get one if your phone died within the next year?

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[–] [email protected] 1 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago)

I like repairable hardware and own a Framework laptop. It has a headphone socket that I use every day. If Framework made a phone I might be interested. If most fairphones end up paired to disposable wireless earbuds with limited battery life that end in landfill I don't get how that is more sustainable than adding a socket for the declining but still sizeable number of people who cling to wired stuff that just works.

My rugged mid-range Nokia refuses to take damage. The thing is cursed. I have dropped it so many times it is ridiculous. It might be years before I replace it. Has a jack as well. Made me totally re-evaluate what I value in a phone. I realized I am not a feature/performance fetishist. I want solidly made gear that has regular updates.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 11 months ago

I want a fucking headphone jack, thanks. Also 3 full size USB ports, a physical keyboard and a inch-thick battery, because fuck you.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 11 months ago

The FP5 still have some strange overheating issue. Some day I go from 90% et 10% in 2 hours, sometime it takes 2 day, without any changes in my usages. A reboot fixes it for a time, but I have to do it every 2-3 days...

[–] [email protected] 0 points 11 months ago (1 children)

I went with pixel 8 Pro and graphene os, but I did consider fp.

Can you even use a new fp in the US?

[–] [email protected] 0 points 11 months ago (1 children)

You can technically. But you might not get service in certain areas because it doesn't have support for all of the US bands.

I came really close to importing one until I found I couldn't use 5g, and there'd be very little LTE support for T-Mobile.

Ended up getting a Pixel 8, hopefully they can get it to the US sooner than they did the FP4.

Ive been considering GrapheneOS. I only really use Banking, Android Auto and occasionally Maps from the play store (although I LOVE Organic Maps).

[–] [email protected] 1 points 11 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago)

Graphene doesn't and won't ever support android auto, sadly, it's the only thing I miss

Edit: well, that's what they said, but now it's optionally available!

[–] [email protected] 0 points 11 months ago (2 children)

The number of comment that says " I would buy one, but" is amazing !

What this company is doing is what every company should do, from laptop to tablet. As well as tractors. Dot being able to repair what you buy is fundamentally flawed!

[–] [email protected] 0 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Yet they don't sell in the USA, and they don't have a headphone jack. A company meant for repairability and reliability not having a headphone jack. That's like when framework removed it from the 16 inch laptop.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 11 months ago (1 children)

I don't think your comparison to Framework is justified since 1) they made a headphone jack expansion module that's available along with all the other ports and 2) the Framework 16 has 6 expansion bays instead of 4. If you need a headphone jack you get a 25% increase in configurable ports, and if you don't need one you get a 50% increase in ports. Plus, you can easily switch between those two cases.

[–] [email protected] -1 points 11 months ago

that is a solution to a problem nobody wanted.
Technically 5 if you're using one of them for the headphone jack (which you wouldn't need if it was included on the device ready). Also the one with 4 already has a headphone jack included, so you'd still have 4 available ports.

And 3.

They're small and I could lose it and would have to spend even more money for a replacement.

[–] [email protected] -1 points 11 months ago

You're right, it is amazing. These people are giving honest constructive criticism of a product. Companies often have to pay money to get that information. These complaints are generally valid as well.

The company's commitment to repairability is commendable but it's in lieu of other important factors. If I have to make the choice between having the newer OS with stronger, more powerful hardware or the ability to repair my device I'm going to choose the former every time. From the get-go the device might last longer simply because I won't want to get rid of it as quickly. The 5 is of course a significant improvement over previous releases but it's still behind. If they can deliver a device that is not immediately outdated in comparison to other phones of similar price then this would be a no brainer for me and likely others as well.

Similarly availability is another major factor. You can't buy what you can't get your hands on. Even more importantly it's even more futile to buy one for a network that doesn't support it at all. Obviously the creators just aren't ready to expand into another market and that's fine but it doesn't make the criticism any less important for their mission.

[–] [email protected] -1 points 11 months ago (2 children)

And I give it a 0/10 on having a 3.5mm connector

[–] [email protected] 0 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (1 children)

As well as a 5.25" floppy disc drive and betamax, you call that a phone?!? No thank you, I'll stick with my x-phone https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=9-nezImUP0w

People complaining about 3.5mm jacks remind of the people who complained about how the iMac G3 didn't have a 3.5" floppy drive. At first yeah it was weird to leave it out, but it's been 9 years since the first smartphone launched without a 3.5mm jack (the OPPO R5 in 2014).

If you want ancient tech then your options will be limited.

[–] [email protected] -1 points 11 months ago (1 children)

you do know that you could have made your point in a nicer manner, yes? why would we want to bring the strenuous tones of hollow outrage from reddit to here?

we are all better than that, even the big danish guys.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 11 months ago (1 children)

I'm sorry, but I had to say something. I'm so tired of non-technical people moaning about the out phasing of the 3.5mm jack, and especially the arguments about audio quality and vendor lock in that has been raised in this thread. I had to make sure that it was understood, that the view is not unopposed.

Could I have done it more diplomatically? Maybe, but I also wanted to drive my point home in as short a post as possible.

I asked chatgpt to help out rewriting my comment, but with your criticism in mind. It came up with:

While 3.5mm jacks may seem like a staple, it's worth noting that technology evolves. Much like the transition from 3.5" floppy drives, change takes time to be widely accepted. The omission of the jack in smartphones isn't about dismissing tradition but adapting to newer, more versatile alternatives. It's been nearly a decade since the OPPO R5, and as technology progresses, embracing these changes can lead to a broader range of innovative features.

I don't want to bore people to death, but I can also see now how perhaps I could have attacked the technology instead of the people.

We are better than our old /u/ on reddit, and we must strive to keep it that way. Competing with reddit on toxicity, will be a fight we'll never be able to win.

Thank you for calling me out on my BS, and helping us all to keep the fediverse a better place.

[–] [email protected] -1 points 11 months ago (2 children)

Being an electronic engineer and a programmer I would categorize myself as a "technical person". I am also a person that prefers devices that are as reliable an repairable as possible. A headphone without a battery and with a replaceable cable can last you literally decades. A TWS one, will not.

To add to that, using a dongle means a separate device that can break (and is most likely not repairable), that isn't necessarily compatible with anything you plug it in to, that has a dac (which is redundant since your phone could use the internal one if you had a 3.5mm connector) and that will cause extra battery drain (regardless of how much more, it's more than 0).

There are literally 0 benefits to removing the headphone jack. Several people have even shown that devices that "don't have enough space" for it can be modded to add the 3.5mm jack and you don't even lose any functionality.

Removing the headphone jack is a step backwards.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 11 months ago (1 children)

My own background is in embedded electronics too. Whether there is a benefit in removing the jack or not has not been part of my arguments.

Some people will say that the jack needs to go for waterproofing, but I distinctly remember owning a Sony Xperia M4 which had both a jack and an IP68 rating.

I'm also not saying that your arguments aren't valid, I just value different aspects.... Except for the part about an external DAC being redundant. An external DAC, with RCA or XLR connectors, some proper cable can potentially give you a better result than the internal DAC and the 3.5mm jack. Emphasis on the "potential" part.

I haven't used wired headphones on a regular basis, since that Xperia in 2015ish, and I don't miss untangling the wires, or fixing a broken socket where the solder is cracked, the pins are broken inside the plastic housing of the socket, or clearing a socket of a broken male jack.

IMO the 3.5mm jack is a poor connector. It breaks too easily, dust in the socket leads to static and to be quite honest if I can tell a difference in sound quality, it's my BT headphones that comes out on top.

As long as there's a demand for 3.5mm jacks in phones they'll still be marketed. But if people could stop pointing out that another overpriced smartphone lacks the jack, it would just be swell. Just buy a more modestly priced phone instead of forking over +700€ for a frigging phone.

[–] [email protected] -1 points 11 months ago (1 children)

I currently have a Sony Xperia 5V. It has an IP68 rating, it's basically a flagship phone and it has a headphone jack. Manufacturers don't include the jack because they don't want to but it's 100% possible.

An external DAC, with RCA or XLR connectors, some proper cable can potentially give you a better result than the internal DAC and the 3.5mm jack.

Sorry, but that bit about the external dac is pretty dumb. We're talking about using a mobile phone and you're talking xlr and rca? Really?

I don't miss untangling the wires,

Maybe use a case? I usually have a small roud case for my IEMs that barely takes up space. You're already carrying a case for tws so I don't see why it would be a problem.

or fixing a broken socket where the solder is cracked,

At least you can fix it. If the battery on a wireless IEM dies, 9 times out of 10 you can't fix it and need to get a new one.

the pins are broken inside the plastic housing of the socket,

Maybe don't use shitty jacks?

or clearing a socket of a broken male jack.

Don't know how or where you use your phone but that literally never happened to me. Honestly, none of the issues you mentioned have been a problem for me. Maybe take better care of your stuff?

And regarding people pointing out the lack of a basic feature. Yeah, no. If a company makes shitty products, I'll keep pointing it out. Also, there are fewer and fewer phones with a headphone jack every year. Cheap and expensive. So no, price has nothing to dp with this.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Sorry, but that bit about the external dac is pretty dumb. We're talking about using a mobile phone and you're talking xlr and rca? Really?

mama always stupid is as stupid does

I've read at least once in this thread an argument, that 3.5mm jack is superior to BT or USB-C, on account of the audio quality. If you're using your phone for playback in a setup where you can tell the difference, then an external DAC, with proper connectors, is warranted.

Maybe use a case? I usually have a small roud case for my IEMs that barely takes up space.

How about wireless instead? They can be more discreet, and you don't always have to care about stowing then away. There's a bit of a difference between rolling the wire(s) up or just plopping the individual TWS in a case, where orientation is handled by a magnet.

Maybe don't use shitty jacks?

Nothing to do with the jack. I'm talking about the pins coming from the circular part of the socket and going to the PCB. I've seen them break inside the socket housing, where you can't get to them. Leaving you with the options of either

sourcing a drop in replacement socket, which is time consuming and some of the time futile, or
plugging in some headphones, fire up the device and start playing some sound, then manipulate the socket while listening to the audio and when you get both left and right working, then securing the position with ad much epoxy as you can get away with. Elsewhere in this thread I've mentioned cowboy ways of electronics repair, this is some of what I meant.

If you want to avoid this issue, then you need to evaluate the socket in the device as part of your purchasing considerations. But most stores don't like it when you take their stuff apart. Instruct your users (in my case friends and family) to be really careful OR just use wireless.

Don't know how or where you use your phone but that literally never happened to me. Honestly, none of the issues you mentioned have been a problem for me. Maybe take better care of your stuff?

Or, and bear with me here, I'll keep using my devices how I want, as I've found a perfectly good strategy for not breaking a 3.5mm male jack in the socket? Most of the times I have had to deal with this issue in this millennium, I haven't even been the culprit.

Yeah, no. If a company makes shitty products, I'll keep pointing it out.

And I'll keep telling you that nobody really cares, most of your arguments are moot, and your opinion is not that of the vast majority.

Also, there are fewer and fewer phones with a headphone jack every year.

I wonder how that could be /s

Cheap and expensive. So no, price has nothing to dp with this.

It started with flagships IIRC, sure it may have trickled down into other segments.

[–] [email protected] -1 points 11 months ago

I’ve read at least once in this thread an argument, that 3.5mm jack is superior to BT or USB-C, on account of the audio quality. If you’re using your phone for playback in a setup where you can tell the difference, then an external DAC, with proper connectors, is warranted.

First of all, I didn't say that but it is true. Bluetooh is not just technically inferior, it also has severe limitations in bidirectional communications such as phone calls. Which you know, you tend to have when you're usign a mobile phone.

However, the real difference comes when you compare the headphones themselves. Something like a Moondrop Aria or a Truthear Hexa is under 80USD and will be significantly better than a wireless IEM that costs the same. You can even go down to 30/40USD and still fine good products.

They can be more discreet, and you don’t always have to care about stowing then away. There’s a bit of a difference between rolling the wire(s) up or just plopping the individual TWS in a case, where orientation is handled by a magnet.

You need the IEMs to be "discreet"? What? hahaha that's a first. Also, rolling up the wire takes a few seconds. None of this is an issue.

Nothing to do with the jack. I’m talking about the pins coming from the circular part of the socket and going to the PCB. I’ve seen them break inside the socket housing, where you can’t get to them.

Then don't buy crappy devices? I don't know dude. I have audio gear more than 40 years old and I've literally never had this issue.

And I’ll keep telling you that nobody really cares, most of your arguments are moot, and your opinion is not that of the vast majority.

Ah but you keep the conversation going and that's what matters my friend. Also, who cares if my opinion is "in the vast majority" or not? Do you only share your views if you know other people agree? That's dumb.

I wonder how that could be /s

Yeah, uninformed consumers and increased profit margins will do that to the market. Go figure.

[–] [email protected] -1 points 11 months ago (1 children)

AND it's on purpose. It's to make you switch from your good headphones that work with any analog output to shit that requires their specifications and can be remotely fucked with so you gotta keep buying.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 11 months ago (1 children)

AND it's on purpose. It's to make you switch from your good headphones that work with any analog output to shit that requires their specifications and can be remotely fucked with so you gotta keep buying.

[Citation needed]

[–] [email protected] -1 points 11 months ago (1 children)

When you punch me in the nose, I don't need proof of your intentions.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 11 months ago

Translation: it's original, unpublished, and unreviewed research.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 11 months ago (2 children)

Is that really that much of an issue in the age of USB-C?

[–] [email protected] 0 points 11 months ago (1 children)

my issue right now is that i use one of those charging + 3.5mm splitters in the car, but when they're both connected there's a loud ass buzz. a 3.5mm ground loop isolator works but made bass sound terrible. i'm probably gonna get an old phone just for music in the car 🤦🏽‍♂️

[–] [email protected] 0 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Just get a new car pleb.

Honestly Bluetooth in a car has been a must for me for like 10 years now. And having experienced CarPlay, that’s def next (especially for cars that support wireless and have a Qi spot. Thats practically magic)

[–] [email protected] 0 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (1 children)

i like my car :( and i'm paranoid about features in new cars. i can hear a noticeable difference in quality with bluetooth vs wired too. never been a fan

regardless, cars that people primarily use 3.5mm for aren't going away too soon!

[–] [email protected] 1 points 11 months ago

CarPlay transmits audio over wifi

[–] [email protected] 1 points 11 months ago

Yes, the 3.5mm jack is more durable than USB-C (since it is rotationally symmetric twisting doesn't apply force to the connector), it maintains compatibility with billions of audio devices and doesn't block your charging port if you use it.

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