Fairphone launches an eco-friendly phone subscription program you’ll actually want
These days, subscriptions are available for almost every consumer product we could imagine, replacing classical ownership more and more. You can not only subscribe to own thelatest and greatest Android phones, but also cars, bicycles, tablets, heck, even products as silly as earbuds or game console controllers. While Samsung, Apple, and Google all offer subscriptions for their phones already, the latest company to jump on the bandwagon might be slightly unexpected. Fairphone now offers its latest product as part of a “Fairphone Easy” subscription to those living in its domestic market, the Netherlands. While this might probably not be available to you, it’s still an interesting approach.
As the companyannounced on its blog today, Fairphone Easy does things a little differently compared with others. The subscription isavailable from €21 a monthwhen you subscribe for five years, but the longer you keep your phone damage-free, the cheaper it will get. There are three different tiers of rewards for keeping your device in good condition over one, two, and three years, with two, four, and eight euro reductions in monthly price, respectively.
With Easy, Fairphone also offers free repairs and replacements, and the idea is pretty neat. When a subscriber reports damage, they will receive a refurbished replacement within 48 hours. The broken device is then sent back to Fairphone, and the company will assess the damage and either repair it or use functioning components as spare parts for other repairs. The repaired phone will then be given out to another subscriber with a broken phone, creating a circular movement across subscribers.
The subscription itself offers a greenFairphone 4with 256GB of storage with a screen protector pre-applied and an included case (damages are only covered when it’s used). Subscribers also get a lifetime warranty on the device. Depending on how long you keep the phone, the benefits of the subscription could cost you a hefty premium, though. The 60-month plan at €21 a month will end up at about €996 rather than the €649 you would pay upfront for a Fairphone 4 when you never break your rental device — and when you do break it repeatedly, you might end up paying more than €1,200, which is almost the price of two units. In a sense, you do end up paying for repairs. Free product upgrades to a new model are also not included.
The idea behind this circular approach to smartphones is certainly noble, but it’s clear that there are still downsides at this early stage. This plan is probably best for people who would like to support Fairphone’s circular approach beyond a one-time purchase or who prefer to have a predictable monthly expense rather than potential unexpected repair costs down the road, not those looking to pinch every penny.
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This article is sponsored by Total Wireless.
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