Leading by Design: How to Build Technology That Lasts

The consumer electronics industry has long been defined by speed. ⚡ Fast product cycles, fast upgrades, fast disposal. That model delivered growth, but at a cost. Devices became harder to repair, lifespans got shorter, and the social and environmental consequences of supply chains were too often ignored.

At Fairphone we chose a different path. Not to tweak around the edges, but to fundamentally challenge the way smartphones are built and the way the industry operates. Our guiding principle is simple: technology should be designed to last and designed to be fair. 🌍 That principle shapes every product we bring to market and every decision we make as a company.

What does that mean in practice?

🔧 Creating a modular architecture where a broken screen or drained battery does not require a whole new phone.

⛏️ Sourcing materials such as gold, cobalt and lithium in ways that strengthen local economies and reduce harm.

💻 Committing to software support for up to eight years, because the real measure of innovation is not how fast a product becomes obsolete but how long it continues to deliver value.

💧 Measuring our environmental impact at every stage, from material extraction to water consumption, and acting to reduce it.

These are not experiments or marketing claims. They are products on the market, in the hands of many consumers, proving that fairness and longevity are not only possible but commercially viable. ✅ And in doing so, we are opening the door for a new generation of companies to prove that sustainability can scale, and that responsibility and business performance can reinforce one another.

Along the way, we have learned a few lessons that should resonate beyond our own sector:

• Fairness must be systemic. Real change cannot come from one actor alone. It requires suppliers, manufacturers and consumers to play their part.
• Longevity and repairability must be designed in from the start. They are not features you add later, they are the foundation of a sustainable business model.
• Consumers value fairness most when it comes with clear benefits such as durability, repairability and lower costs over time. Linking sustainability to performance is how it becomes mainstream.

The electronics industry is now at a crossroads. Regulation is tightening, resources are under pressure, and consumers are demanding more accountability. The companies that thrive will be the ones willing to lead, not just follow.

At Fairphone we are showing that leadership means rethinking the rules of the game. We are not waiting for change to happen, we are proving it can be done. 🚀 The challenge now is for the rest of the industry to raise its sights.

The question is not whether designing for fairness and longevity is possible. The question is who else has the guts to make this happen at scale.