Like comparing a $5 Walmart steak to a steak from a local ranch: the
Fairphone Gen 6 Plus's perceived high price is dividing fans and I know
where I stand

Date:
Wed, 19 Aug 2026 13:02:45 +0000

Description:
The Fairphone Gen 6 Plus is a mid-range phone with a steep price tag but
that might just be the cost of a fairer world.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter The Fairphone Gen 6 Plus has landed, and it's available in the US too However, at $649.99 / 569, some tech fans are questioning its price The specs aren't special, but it's modular and sustainably produced The Fairphone Gen 6 Plus has just launched, and the big news with this model is that, for the first time, a Fairphone is available in the US with Android fully intact (previously, Fairphones sold outside of Europe were only available in de-Googled configurations). But with this wider availability comes some increased scrutiny about the phone's price.

You see, Fairphones cost a lot for what youre getting on paper, with the Fairphone Gen 6 Plus retailing for $649.99 / 569 (that's around AU$920,
though it's not currently available in Australia). For that price, you get a 6.31-inch 120Hz OLED display, a mid-range Snapdragon 7s Gen 4 chipset, 12GB
of RAM, 256GB of storage, a microSD card slot, and a 4,415mAh battery with
30W wired charging, and no wireless charging. The phone also has a 50MP main camera, a 13MP ultra-wide, and a 32MP selfie camera on the front. All of
these specs are... fine, but mid-range at best, and rather worse than what you'll find on most other comparably priced phones. Latest Videos From TechRadar Watch full video here:

But this isnt most phones. The Fairphone Gen 6 Plus stands out in two main ways. First, its built to last, with a modular design that lets you swap out 12 parts yourself; its easy to repair or replace a worn-out battery, for instance. That, coupled with software updates until 2033, means, in theory, you wont need to buy another phone for a long time.

The other notable element of Fairphones products is that theyre designed to
be fair to the environment and the people making them, meaning things like higher wages , safer factories, and net-zero emissions targets. You may like Fairphone criticizes the Nothing Phone (4b) for its decorative screw design Exclusive: Fairphone CEO teases two new products that will really push the envelope for sustainable tech The Honor Robot Phone is going viral, and commenters are calling it an 'innovation light-years ahead of iPhone'

Of course, these sustainable practices come at a cost. A fairer world isn't cheap (Image credit: Future) As for whether this cost is worth it, smartphone fans are divided on the matter. Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

On our recent TikTok about the Fairphone 6 Gen Plus, one user argued that comparing this phone to others by price is like comparing a $5 Walmart steak to a steak from a local ranch, clarifying that, in this analogy, the other phones are the Walmart steak, as theyre only this cheap because of the blood and the exploitation of the workers. @techradar

original sound - TechRadar This individual, then, is clearly in favor of paying what they see as a price thats fair for the workers. But another commenter argued that a similarly priced phone with way better specs will
last you longer if you just take care of it, so in their view, the longevity of this phone is a questionable selling point.

Other comments are similarly mixed, but more seem opposed to the price than
in favor of it, with one going so far as to call it dead on arrival, adding that this must be a joke at this price. What to read next I tested the 7 top flagship phones of 2026 here's which models I recommend The Honor 600 Pro Molly Limited Edition is the most Gen Z phone I've ever used Honor 600
review: I was blown away by this phones blazing display, epic battery life, and occasionally uncanny AI But Fairphone has never been a mainstream brand its products are not and never will be for everybody. If you believe the
world should be fairer, and that workers should make a fair wage, then its a company worth supporting.

Thats my view, anyway but then again, I say this while using an iPhone as my main device, so maybe Im a hypocrite.

Personally, as a fan of the latest tech, Id be more inclined to pay a premium for a Fairphone if it could offer specs to match the very best phones , but for a small brand with limited resources, I can understand why Fairphone is limiting itself to the mid-range market for now.

We're currently putting the Fairphone 6 Gen Plus through its paces, so stay tuned for our full review verdict in the coming weeks. Today's best Fairphone deals Fairphone Gen 6 522.03 View See all prices Fairphone 5 549.99 489.99 View See all prices Fairphone 4 322.61 View See all prices We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices Follow TechRadar on Google
News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button!

And of course you can also follow TechRadar on TikTok for news, reviews, unboxings in video form, and get regular updates from us on WhatsApp too.



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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/phones/like-comparing-a-usd5-walmart-steak-to-a-stea k-from-a-local-ranch-the-fairphone-gen-6-pluss-perceived-high-price-is-dividin g-fans-and-i-know-where-i-stand


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