Subj : Fairphone is finally coming to the US but there's good news and To : All From : TechnologyDaily Date : Thu Nov 06 2025 11:30:08 Fairphone is finally coming to the US but there's good news and bad news for right-to-repair fans Date: Thu, 06 Nov 2025 11:22:50 +0000 Description: Fairphone is finally expanding into the US market, but I think it'll be some time before we see a Fairphone smartphone released there. FULL STORY ====================================================================== Fairphone, the sustainability-focused Dutch electronics manufacturer, has confirmed that it's finally entering the US market. After trading in Europe exclusively since its founding in 2013, the company will release its Fairbuds XL over-ear headphones via Amazon in the US this November, with CEO Raymond van Eck telling Reuters that the move taps into a growing consumer and legislative push in the US for a right-to-repair: The demand for sustainable, long-lasting technology has never been higher. van Eck also confirmed that Fairphone intends to launch a phone in the US later down the line, though noted via LinkedIn that doing so is a complex and ongoing process. And he's not wrong. To be clear: its great that Fairphone is releasing the Fairbuds XL across the pond. But its the companys modular phones that put it on the map in Europe, and there are numerous US-specific hoops to jump through before Fairphone can actually begin shipping its mobile devices outside of Europe (at present, it is possible to pick up a Fairphone 6 in the US, but only in a de-Googled /e/OS, T-Mobile-exclusive configuration, as exclusively sold by Murena for $899). Fairphone CEO Raymond van Eck (Image credit: Fairphone) As van Eck himself told me in October : Of course, we are also looking into other markets, but as you know, if you go to the US, there's a little side [situation] where you have to look into antenna systems that are suitable for the bandwidth. You can roam perfectly well with the Fairphone 6 [in the US]. That's no problem. And we also see Murena selling the [de-Googled] Gen 6 in the US as well. But in order to be certified on the networks, you have to create a different antenna system, and our phones are modular. So that means we have to puzzle it all in, and [doing so] takes resources and time. [...] To sell in the US, there have to be aspects of the phone that are different from the European ones, or you have to design a phone for both markets. Our resources are scarce as well, van Eck continued, so we want to put them towards doubling down in the markets where we are very successful right now. We described the Fairphone 6 as "a must-buy for environmentally-minded people" in our review (Image credit: Future) Now, Im not suggesting that Fairphone wont find a way around this network certification conundrum, but its unlikely to do so in a timeframe that makes releasing the Fairphone 6 in the US a viable proposition (it launched in Europe in June). I cant see the company completely redesigning an existing product for the sake of launching in a market thats already dominated by Apple and Samsung. As Reuters notes, more than 90% of phones sold in the US are sold through mobile network operators, meaning Fairphone has to expand into carrier channels rather than selling through its own websites, or a distribution partner like Amazon (as it will do for the Fairbuds XL). Following this week's announcement, van Eck told The Verge that launching the Fairphone 6 in the US is a complicated process but something he hopes can be achieved in the near future. Still, I think its more likely that well see Fairphone release an entirely new product potentially the Fairphone 7 in a years time, one thats compatible with US networks and regulations. To be clear: Fairphones expansion into the US is absolutely a great thing for Fairphone and US consumers. But right-to-repair fans should temper their expectations: it doesn't look like the brand's eponymous modular smartphone will be launching outside of Europe any time soon. Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button! And of course you can also follow TechRadar on TikTok for news, reviews, unboxings in video form, and get regular updates from us on WhatsApp too. ====================================================================== Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/phones/fairphone-is-finally-coming-to-the-us-but-the res-good-news-and-bad-news-for-right-to-repair-fans --- Mystic BBS v1.12 A49 (Linux/64) * Origin: tqwNet Technology News (1337:1/100) .