Detailed information about the upcoming Fairphone 5 has been leaked, including the announcement date: tomorrow. The new model will be more powerful, more repairable, more durable and longer-lasting and, unfortunately, more expensive.
The Dutch telephone company has made an interesting choice regarding the chipset, it has opted for a Qualcomm QCM6490. It is a chipset intended for embedded and industrial applications. In terms of performance it should be similar to the Snapdragon 778G.
What makes it interesting is that Qualcomm offers long-term software support: eight years or until 2031. Fairphone does its best to offer long-term support, for example the latest Fairphone 2 update came seven years after launch , but there is only one limit that Qualcomm can do without. Choosing an industrial chip could be a game changer.
Anyway, the Model 5 has 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, as well as a microSD slot. The microSD slot, along with the SIM slot, is now a separate module. There are now eleven modules in total (up from eight) with the cameras and vibration motor also being separate parts. This allows users to edit them individually.
The Fairphone 5 consists of 11 individually replaceable modules
The company ditched the LCD display of previous models and went with a slightly larger 6.46-inch AMOLED display (compared to 6.3 inches on the Fairphone 4). It has a higher resolution, 1,224 x 2,770 px, and runs at 90 Hz on startup (up from 1,080 x 2,340 px, 60 Hz). Even with the transition to AMOLED the fingerprint reader remains on the side.
The new model is equipped with three 50 MP cameras: two rear and one front. All three will record 4K video. They apparently have “premium lenses”, but nothing is known about the focal length or other features.
Fairphone 5 (leaked images)
The battery is also larger with a capacity of 4,200mAh (up from 3,905mAh). There is no mention of charging specs in the leaked data (the Model 4 only had 20W wired charging). The new model also offers improved connectivity with Wi-Fi 6E (6GHz) and Bluetooth 5.2.
Furthermore, it has an IP55 protection rating, compared to IP54 (5 means resistance to water jets, 4 means splash resistance). As we saw in the leaked images, the new phone will be available in Sky Blue, Gray and Transparent colors.
Fairphone 5 in Light Blue, Gray and Transparent
The new hardware is also more eco-friendly, with 70% fair-trade and recycled materials, compared to 30-40% on the previous model. The phone will also have a new climate protection label indicating a reduced carbon footprint over the life of the device.
That all sounds great, but now it’s time for the bad news: The Fairphone 5 will cost 700 euros, according to the leak. For comparison, the old model cost €580.
The official phone announcement is imminent, so check back tomorrow. It will be interesting to hear what Fairphone has to say about software support on the new module.
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