Fairphone 4

Fairphone 4 is a smartphone designed and marketed by Fairphone. It succeeds the Fairphone 3+ and was succeeded by the Fairphone 5. It was announced on 30 September 2021, and was available for order from 25 October 2021^[4] to December 2024.^[5]

Fairphone 4

Fairphone 4
Brand	Fairphone
First released	25 October 2021; 3 years ago (2021-10-25)
Discontinued	December 2024 (2024-12)
Units sold	192,056[1]
Predecessor	Fairphone 3+
Successor	Fairphone 5
Form factor	Slate
Dimensions	162 mm × 75.5 mm × 10.5 mm (6.38 in × 2.97 in × 0.41 in)
Weight	225 g (7.9 oz)
Operating system	Original: Android 11 Upgradable: Android 13
System-on-chip	Qualcomm Snapdragon 750G
Memory	6 or 8 GB
Storage	128 or 256 GB
SIM	Nano SIM and eSIM
Battery	Li-Ion 3905 mAh, 20 W fast charging
Rear camera	3 modules. 48 MP, f/1.6, (wide), 1/2.0", 0.8μm, PDAF, OIS, 48 MP, f/2.2, (ultrawide), 1/2.0", 0.8μm, PDAF, TOF 3D, (depth)
Front camera	25 MP, f/2.2, (wide), 1/2.78", 0.9μm
Display	IPS LCD 6.3" display with 1080 x 2340 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~409 ppi density)
Connectivity	USB-C 3.0 (DisplayPort, USB-OTG) Miracast
Data inputs	Dual band GNSS (GPS/GLONASS/BeiDou/Galileo)
References	[2][3]

Major upgrades from the predecessor include a larger display, better camera with optical image stabilization, improved selfie camera, 5G support, IP54 dust and splash protection and MIL810G certification, USB-C port, bigger battery, 20W fast charging among other changes.^[2][6]

It comes with Android 11 “Red Velvet Cake” with promised two major Android updates^[7] (Android 12 “Snow Cone” and Android 13 “Tiramisu”) and up to 5 years of warranty.^{[8][better source needed]}

Materials

The Fairphone 4 is made with Fairtrade-certified gold, aluminum from Aluminium Stewardship Initiative (ASI) Performance Standard certified vendors, fair tungsten from Rwanda, recycled tin, rare earth minerals, and plastics.^[8]

Modular design

The phone's modular design is constructed of seven modules, making it easier to repair than most smartphones. The rear of the phone can be removed without using tools. Having removed the rear, the battery can be lifted out and replaced. The display is easily removed using a regular Phillips #00 screwdriver, as well as the different modules.^[9]

Operating systems

The phone was originally shipped with Android 11, as of June 2023 it has been updated to Android 13. Fairphone has pledged software support until 2026 and aims to provide upgrades for Android 14 and 15.^[10]

Fairphone 4 is supported by LineageOS, which makes Android 15 available for the device. CalyxOS 4.2.7, Android 13, is available for the Fairphone 4 as of December 2022.^[11] /e/ supports Fairphone 4.

Reception

The Fairphone 4 received mostly positive reviews praising its guarantee of software support until 2025 and up to 5 years of warranty and improvements over its predecessor. However, the lack of a headphone jack was criticized, along with the occasional sluggish performance and the quality of the camera and fingerprint sensor.^{[12][6][13][14]}

GrapheneOS criticized Fairphone 4 for being shipped with publicly available private keys for the firmware and stock operating system, causing security features such as verified boot and hardware keystore to break, and for not providing firmware updates on time.^[15]

End of sale

Fairphone stopped producing and selling the Fairphone 4 in December 2024, but indicated the publication of software updates will continue after this date, and the production and sale of spare part will continue until at least 2028.^[5]

See also

• Modular phone