One of the most undervalued things to consider when choosing a smartphone is how long it will keep producing new updates for the device.
The Fairphone 2 was first released five years ago, and the company is still pushing out a new version of Android to the phone. The company announced on its blog that it plans to bring Android 9 to the device. Sure, it isn’t the newest version of the mobile OS by any stretch, but it’s still nice to see such an old phone receiving a major software update.
Android 9 on theFairphone 2
While updating a phone with an OS that’s almost three years old doesn’t sound that impressive, when you consider that the Fairphone 2 launched during the Android 5 Lolipop era, that update sounds a bit nobler.
Most smartphone manufacturers offer two major Android updates for their devices (that’s typically done over two years), so this is far from ordinary. Google has decided to extend support for its devices to three years, so that’s a move in the right direction.
In the end, the only other company that offers updates for this long is Apple, but that’s an entirely different operating system.
Keeping the phone somewhat current with Android 9 means that it will run an OS that’s still officially supported by Google, rather than running a phased-out version that makes the phone out-of-date. Google’s latest Android security bulletin still includes security fixes for Android 9, so Fairphone 2 owners will be able to take advantage of those security patches and keep their devices locked down.
One of the issuesFairphone faced when bringing Android 9 to its older device was a lack of support for the processor. Qualcomm had long since moved on from the Snapdragon 801 that came with the Fairphone 2, which means it no longer offered support for the chipset.
Today we’re celebrating a milestone. The #Fairphone 2 gets a major software upgrade 5 years after launch. We started Fairphone with a mission to encourage smartphone longevity by disrupting the electronics industry and this signifies that commitment. 🙌 https://t.co/jdpOxZKEHQ pic.twitter.com/bQGbj54CEi
— Fairphone (@Fairphone) March 25, 2021
Fairphone has made this push to keep a five-year-old phone running strong because the company believes in sustainability. In its blog post, a representative of the firm said, “the longer you keep your phone, the lower its environmental footprint.” If users aren’t discarding their phones as frequently, that’s better for the environment, which is exactly what Fairphone is hoping to achieve.
This bodes well for the Fairphone 3 and 3 Plus phones. If they receive the same treatment, they should see plenty of Android updates as well.
When Will Fairphone 2 Owners Get Android 9?
The company said that the update will start rolling out now and finish making its way to devices by April 19. If you don’t see it on your device, you’ll need to be patient, as it is a gradual rollout.
