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Fairphone 6 is switching to a new design that's even more sustainable

androidcentral.com

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Re: Fairphone 6 is switching to a new design that's even more sustainable

#131

Post by bigstrat2003 »

snapplebobapple wrote: post #62
godelski wrote: post #7

They mention the Pixel and I just got to say, I wish someone would bring back the fingerprint reader on the back of the phone. That was seriously the best solution. Fastest way to unlock your phone, because no matter how slow the fingerprint reader is you activate it while pulling it out of your pocket. I honestly don't get why people like Face ID more (what I currently use). Someone, please bring this back

Have you tried phones with it on the power button? That was the best for me by far.

My current phone has that and it's the absolute worst design choice I have ever seen in a phone. It is constantly triggering when I'm trying to lock the screen. I can't understand what the designers at Nokia were thinking, truly awful hardware design.

Re: Fairphone 6 is switching to a new design that's even more sustainable

#132

Post by bigstrat2003 »

BariumBlue wrote: post #106
bombela wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The removal of the phone jack is so obviously planned obsolescence, it is ironic that this project for sustainability follows the trend. Wired headphones still have better sound quality. Don't need charging. Don't break with software update. But because of that it means less consumption. Think about how insane it is that companies can remove the phone jack and glue in the battery with the very obvious goal of planned…

I use my USB-C port to listen to my wired headphones all the time, no problem. Phone jack is now redundant now that USB-C can output audio

A proper headphone jack will always and forever be superior to needing a dongle.

Re: Fairphone 6 is switching to a new design that's even more sustainable

#133

Post by bigstrat2003 »

OkayPhysicist wrote: post #80
Spunkie wrote: post #29

Still no headphone jack makes this a nonstarter, lame.

How often are you listening to music on your phone while it's charging? (because otherwise you can always just attach an adapter onto your headphones to make it USB-C). Seems like a weird hang up.

First, that's almost all the time for me because my primary use case for listening to music is in the car. Second, adapters are not a good solution because they can easily be lost.

Re: Fairphone 6 is switching to a new design that's even more sustainable

#134

Post by beeflet »

al_borland wrote: post #117
godelski wrote: post #7

They mention the Pixel and I just got to say, I wish someone would bring back the fingerprint reader on the back of the phone. That was seriously the best solution. Fastest way to unlock your phone, because no matter how slow the fingerprint reader is you activate it while pulling it out of your pocket. I honestly don't get why people like Face ID more (what I currently use). Someone, please bring this back

I was a FaceID skeptic and it quickly won me over, not because of the unlocking experience, but for the authentication during use. What used to be a prompt, followed by an active fingerprint scan, turned into something completely seamless and automatic.

That's what makes it insecure. You're always looking at the device.

Besides, fingerprint is even faster. You can unlock the device right as you grab it out of your pocket. You don't even have to look at it.

Re: Fairphone 6 is switching to a new design that's even more sustainable

#135

Post by DrAwesome »

ZeroWidthJoiner wrote: post #30
godelski wrote: post #7

They mention the Pixel and I just got to say, I wish someone would bring back the fingerprint reader on the back of the phone. That was seriously the best solution. Fastest way to unlock your phone, because no matter how slow the fingerprint reader is you activate it while pulling it out of your pocket. I honestly don't get why people like Face ID more (what I currently use). Someone, please bring this back

The backside fingerprint reader could even be used as an input device on some models for scrolling, or pulling down/up the notification bar. Great for scrolling through content or swiping through screens without having to cover your display for gesture input: https://www.androidauthority.com/miss-rear-fingerprint-scann...

This is one of the big things I miss from my Pixel 5a; it was so nice to be able to unlock the phone and pull down the notifications bar with one hand. There's a lot I like about the Pixel 8 Pro I replaced it with, but that's one thing I miss.

Re: Fairphone 6 is switching to a new design that's even more sustainable

#136

Post by mhitza »

bigstrat2003 wrote: post #131
snapplebobapple wrote: post #62

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Have you tried phones with it on the power button? That was the best for me by far.

My current phone has that and it's the absolute worst design choice I have ever seen in a phone. It is constantly triggering when I'm trying to lock the screen. I can't understand what the designers at Nokia were thinking, truly awful hardware design.

Same thing with Fairphone 4. It's either too dirty to register on first touch (the smaller surface doesn't help), or I unlock the screen when I lock the phone.

Re: Fairphone 6 is switching to a new design that's even more sustainable

#137

Post by SlowTao »

illiac786 wrote: post #128
bombela wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The removal of the phone jack is so obviously planned obsolescence, it is ironic that this project for sustainability follows the trend. Wired headphones still have better sound quality. Don't need charging. Don't break with software update. But because of that it means less consumption. Think about how insane it is that companies can remove the phone jack and glue in the battery with the very obvious goal of planned…

No, that’s not planned obsolescence. Why would it become obsolete faster due to the lack of a phone jack? Not delivering updates, that’s planned obsolescence. I do agree however, that a jack is nice. Wired USB-C headphone do exist though, if you insist on wired.I am not an audiophile, wouldn’t that provide an even better sound quality potentially (digital to analog conversion happens later, not distortions due to cab…

There seems to be more movement in the standards space on wireless headphones. The wireless standard today could be very different in 5-10 years time. The 3.5mm jack is over a century old, it isn't being changed dramatically in any way.

Personally, I am just not a fan of something that requires both a software connection that usually isn't always the smoothest thing rather than a direct hardware connection. And having yet another battery to deal with and the down stream impact of that. Typically all on hardware with the battery sealed inside that will die long before the rest of the hardware will.

Nothing wrong with wireless as an option but mandating it, I do not like that one bit. It is now the first thing I check on a phone as it is an absolute deal breaker for me.

Re: Fairphone 6 is switching to a new design that's even more sustainable

#138

Post by jack_pp »

chaosharmonic wrote: post #24
jack_pp wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't think it's about planned obsolescence. It's about cutting costs and having one less hole water can get in. Also wired headphones are a very niche market. If you care so much there are wireless DACs that can feed your wired headphones better than any phone in history.

My hotter take is that this is the same problem as IR blasters, and relative to the old normal -- when device makers like LG were specifically advertising how awesome their built-in DAC was -- this whole thing could be solved in a much more elegant, flexible way if anyone at all would just give us a second fucking USB port.

Sony tried to compete with the best camera, best DAC and I don't think those phones sold. Manufacturers build products the market wants. Wired headphones are not what the market wants. If you are a true purist you buy stuff from fiio and carry more then one device.

This is the same thing as with small phones. A vocal minority cried far and wide that they wanted them. Apple made them.. and they did, not, sell.

Re: Fairphone 6 is switching to a new design that's even more sustainable

#139

Post by userbinator »

When unscrewed, users are likely to be greeted with an option to remove the battery as well as it isn’t attached to the device with the help of glue but rather with additional screws.

What a horrible state of things that "not gluing the battery in place but screwing it in" is considered an improvement. IMHO smartphones have been on a horrible decline ever since ~2016. Before then, most Androids had [1] easily replaceable battery, no tools required at all; [2] microSD slot; [3] headphone jack; [4] (many) dual SIM; [5] (many cheaper models) easily rooted or unlocked by default. Now all we get are faster CPUs, more (non-expandable) storage, and far too many cameras.

There was also this memorable ad from Samsung: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0hIoyb9L5g0

Re: Fairphone 6 is switching to a new design that's even more sustainable

#140

Post by beeflet »

bombela wrote: post #11
strangecasts wrote: post #2

Was lucky enough to get my Fairphone 4 on sale, but I'd happily pay full price now - even though the Fairphones are pricey for the specs, unless you absolutely need 24 cores etc. I'd say they are worth it, knowing the company is at least trying to improve the parts supply chain, and knowing you stand a chance of fixing the devices yourself (luckily I've only had to replace the USB-C port, which was trivial) About the…

The removal of the phone jack is so obviously planned obsolescence, it is ironic that this project for sustainability follows the trend. Wired headphones still have better sound quality. Don't need charging. Don't break with software update. But because of that it means less consumption. Think about how insane it is that companies can remove the phone jack and glue in the battery with the very obvious goal of planned…

>Wired headphones still have better sound quality

I don't know about that, I still get analog noise all the time. Maybe it's just due to using a cheap DAC?

They also sell wireless earbuds and headphones with replaceable batteries.

I think the solution is to ship wireless earphones with a usb-c capability, and ship smartphones with multiple usb ports.

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