As a note about repairability, ignoring various problems with the phone: while the FP4 does have more availability of parts from the manufacturer, is generally easier to repair, and is advertised as repairable, I found the Fairphone forums to be surprisingly and unexpectedly hostile to discussions of repair and repairability.
A significant portion of the forum userbase considers that Fairphone's primary focus is on fair trade, the treatment of workers, and the sourcing of raw materials. Regular posters, and highlighted users ("Fairphone Angels"), will often argue to users that the phone is not primarily meant to be repairable or longer-lasting than other phones. Concerns about outdated security updates and long-lasting, serious software problems with basic functionality often get responses about workers in phone manufacturing, and reminders that this is the point of the phone. This goes directly against Fairphone's own advertising, but it seems to be the general sense amongst users the company attaches their name to.
Coming from the Framework forums, this was astonishing and disappointing.
A significant portion of the forum userbase considers that Fairphone's primary focus is on fair trade, the treatment of workers, and the sourcing of raw materials. Regular posters, and highlighted users ("Fairphone Angels"), will often argue to users that the phone is not primarily meant to be repairable or longer-lasting than other phones. Concerns about outdated security updates and long-lasting, serious software problems with basic functionality often get responses about workers in phone manufacturing, and reminders that this is the point of the phone. This goes directly against Fairphone's own advertising, but it seems to be the general sense amongst users the company attaches their name to.
Coming from the Framework forums, this was astonishing and disappointing.