Fairphone 3 and Fairphone 3+ get Android 13, support window might expand to 2026

11 July 2023
The company took over software support and now "aims" to grow the window by two additional years.

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potato4k, 11 Jul 2023Windows is different than Android, and has completely diffe... moreImo that's a major drawback of modern Windows. They have to include too many legacy features and support too many outdated devices. A cleansheet Windows alongside a version focusing compatibility would be much better.

    Aoi Akane, 11 Jul 2023Well we might can say the same to those PCs that run Window... moreWindows is different than Android, and has completely different driver system. You cannot compare Windows to Android and apply the same reasoning.

    There's a reason why not long ago, most Android OEMs only update their phones for 1 or 2 years at best. That's because Qualcomm themselves stopped supporting their chips after a year or two and won't update the drivers to support newer Android versions. Sony had this issue in the past where it had promised an update for its customers, but later failed to do so because Qualcomm decided to not give them updated drivers anymore.

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      • Anonymous
      • 4RT
      • 11 Jul 2023

      MRSTEK, 11 Jul 2023Folks hyped about these concepts too much. Are you really g... moreTo set an example and not pollute Southeast Asia and Africa with eWaste shipped from western countries.

      One less phone in the landfill. We have to start somewhere.

        • ?
        • Anonymous
        • 4RT
        • 11 Jul 2023

        rizki1, 11 Jul 2023I appreciate they made this, but it's nothing special.... moreFairphone users are like Pinephone users. Higher on the bell curve so to speak. Samsung is selling to people who play Facebook games and see Jesus every now and then in their breakfast cereal. So of course more Samsung people would complain. The idea is that Samsung doesn't litter the market with low-end phones to begin with, but produces a flagship and supports it for a decade, while depreciating it by annually for people with lower incomes.

          • b
          • blue
          • 0CN
          • 11 Jul 2023

          No wonder this concept had never truly succeeded. It is so obsolete just by design, basic hardware, everything.
          I just wonder how much can the SW be limited by some hardware needs (as was the case of Windows 11). Fair? Maybe. Useful? Certainly not.

            potato4k, 11 Jul 2023I wonder how they're doing it since Qualcomm and many ... moreWell we might can say the same to those PCs that run Windows 10 on 1st-Gen Intel Core.
            Let's take i5-480M and i7-610E for example. Both chipsets were produced around 2010 and last received a driver update in 2013. But you can just run Windows 10 22H2 on it smoothly, even smoother than nowadays' overrated Celeron N4020.

              MRSTEK, 11 Jul 2023Folks hyped about these concepts too much. Are you really g... more> What's the point of supporting SD632 for more than 5 years?
              To reduce whatever they called "e-waste". You know what? Sometimes it's weird to see people ditched their phone just because it's no longer receiving the next Android version.
              ...Like come on. You're just not using the latest Android version. It's not end of the story of that phone.
              But yeah, they really need to bring a better hardware on their phone.

                I wonder how they're doing it since Qualcomm and many other parts OEMs probably are not even supporting/updating the drivers for their chips/components anymore.

                  I appreciate they made this, but it's nothing special. Because they only maintain 1000 phones maybe.

                  If Xiaomi and Samsung give Android 13 to users with Helio P22 or other weak processors, get ready about to complain anywhere. Because their userbase is hundreds of millions.

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                    • LGs
                    • nrH
                    • 11 Jul 2023

                    Good job.. others looks, old gen CPU but android 13, others say no support :D

                      Anonymous, 11 Jul 2023Android 13 suck you can't sideload anymore you cant ma... moreI don't think so , i have an android 13 device and i can side load apk files without any problems

                        you have to suffer, 11 Jul 2023imagine if soc chips are replaceable by users.Literally you can replace them without killing the phone, though you may need specialzed tools. Also only SoCs within the same product family are pin-compatible and software-compatible.

                        For example, SD630/636/660 are fully compatible, while SD632 is pin compatible w/ SD625/626/450 and software compatible w/ SD425/427/429/430/435/439.

                          MRSTEK, 11 Jul 2023Folks hyped about these concepts too much. Are you really g... moreimagine if soc chips are replaceable by users.

                            lets see how performance fares from the sd632 chip with a13.

                              Folks hyped about these concepts too much. Are you really gonna pay a premium for those so-called eco-friendly features?

                              Not to say fairphones have been using mediocre or even entry level hardware to show-off their awareness of environmental protection. What's the point of supporting SD632 for more than 5 years?

                              That's a soc from 2018, basically underclocked SD660 CPU+ underclocked SD625 GPU.

                              I am not against paying a premium for modular design, but at least use better hardware next time!

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                                • Anonymous
                                • XTA
                                • 11 Jul 2023

                                Android 13 suck you can't sideload anymore you cant make a backup data>apps google make sure you re downloaded apps from beginning.

                                  Fair enough

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