If you liked the whole concept behind Google’s Project Ara, having the ability to easily swap out your phone’s components in a whim, then you’ll most likely enjoy hearing about the Fairphone 2.  They’ve also introduced a modular phone, but with a different aim.
The objective with the Fairphone 2 was easy component replacement, with the purpose of making a device last.  For instance, one of the pain-points we often find ourselves is dealing with a cracked screen.  Fairphone says that the display on the Fairphone 2 can be replaced in under a minute, with no tools.  Also, the underlying electro-mechanical components are purposely not soldered and the receiver, rear camera, and speaker only require a screwdriver to remove.
Fairphone also strived to make a robust phone, that could stand up to your brutality.  Therefore, it isn’t the prettiest looking phone, but that also means it isn’t fragile.  The chassis is essentially a case, protecting the valuables, and is easily replaceable.  They are also producing different variation of covers, to offer different levels of protection.
As far as specs for the base config, we’re looking at:
- 5-inch 1080P display, behind Gorilla Glass 3
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 SoC
- 2 GB of RAM
- 8 MP rear camera
- 32 GB of on-board storage, with microSD expansion
- 2,420 mAh battery
- Dual SIM slots and 4G LTE support
- Android 5.1 Lollipop
Pre-orders begin in Summer 2015 in Europe, at a price of €525 (~$590 USD), with shipments going out in the Fall.
Do you like the idea of replacing your components when they fail, or are you fine with buying an entirely new device every so often?
