Stuff we’ve done in 2019 that you should care about

It’s been quite the year at Fairphone! We’ve got lots of big plans for the months ahead, but before we focus on the future, I’d like to look back and share a few of the highlights from the past 12 months.

Revealing our new phone to the world

One of the most rewarding milestones of the year – for me personally, as well as for the company as a whole – was launching the Fairphone 3. Our latest product was received with huge enthusiasm by our customers, the media and our (sales) partners. Besides introducing a brand-new phone, the launch also meant that we could finally show off all the work we’d been preparing for months in advance. This included an updated website, fresh photography and a special campaign created in collaboration with communication agency KesselsKramer. In addition, our launch events (in Amsterdam and Berlin) provided the perfect opportunity to celebrate this achievement while connecting with our community. (European Fairphone Community Trip 2019)

 

For most of us here, announcing the Fairphone 3 couldn’t come soon enough – because at the end of March, we reached a bittersweet moment in every product cycle – we sold out of the Fairphone 2. But the story of the world’s first modular smartphone is far from over! We’ll still be supporting the phones (and Fairphone 2 owners) for years to come.

Positive change for our phones and the industry

While we know that Fairphone takes a different approach to making phones, that idea really hit home during my visit to Mobile World Congress 2019 in March. After wandering through halls and halls of shiny new devices with the latest tech specs, I was flabbergasted to realize that no one was focusing on the bigger issues facing our industry – like better working conditions for the people who make the phones, or fairer materials in components.

As a result, I’m even more proud of what we’ve done this year to improve our supply chain, and the industry as a whole. One of the biggest highlights was receiving the Responsible Business Award for our Uganda Gold project. And just recently, we were very excited to announce some of our latest steps with our production partner, Arima, including a living wage bonus for factory employees.

 

Besides that, we were delighted to receive another 10 out of 10 from iFixit for smartphone repairability. Achievements like these are helping make our products fairer, but they are also attracting partners who are eager to collaborate on our mission – like our national store rollout with Orange in France, and Vodafone, who we welcomed to our family of resellers this year.

Here’s to an impactful New Year!

Every year, we’re constantly impressed by how far we’ve come and how much we’ve managed to accomplish. And it’s all because of our loyal Fairphoners – including everyone in our office, everyone who owns our phones, and everyone who is part of our community. Together, we’re showing that change is possible. Here’s to creating even more impact – now and in the years to come.

We are Fairphone and we dare to care.