- Fairphone has announced the indefinite suspension of its subscription model, Fairphone Easy.
- Fairphone Easy aimed to offer sustainable phone ownership by offering a monthly fee for all-inclusive repairs, replacements, and recycling.
- Fairphone joins Google’s Pixel Pass in failing to gain traction, casting doubts about the viability of the phone-leasing model.
Fairphone, the Dutch phone manufacturer known for its focus on sustainability and repairability, has announced the indefinite suspension of its phone subscription service, Fairphone Easy.
Launched in 2022 as a pilot program in the Netherlands, Fairphone Easy offered users a way to access a Fairphone smartphone through a subscription model, with guaranteed repairs, replacements, and proper end-of-life recycling included. The program also incentivized users to hold onto their phones for longer, with decreasing subscription costs for existing customers. This longer lifespan aimed to reduce electronic waste, as Fairphone would refurbish and recycle returned devices at the end of their lease.