Fairphone is finally coming to the US – but there's good news and bad news for right-to-repair fans

Fairphone, the sustainability-focused Dutch electronics manufacturer, has confirmed that it's finally entering the US market.

After trading in Europe exclusively since its founding in 2013, the company will release its Fairbuds XL over-ear headphones via Amazon in the US this November, with CEO Raymond van Eck telling Reuters that the move taps into a growing consumer and legislative push in the US for a right-to-repair: “The demand for sustainable, long-lasting technology has never been higher.”

van Eck also confirmed that Fairphone intends to launch a phone in the US later down the line, though noted via LinkedIn that doing so “is a complex and ongoing process.” And he's not wrong.

To be clear: it’s great that Fairphone is releasing the Fairbuds XL across the pond. But it’s the company’s modular phones that put it on the map in Europe, and there are numerous US-specific hoops to jump through before Fairphone can actually begin shipping its mobile devices outside of Europe (at present, it is possible to pick up a Fairphone 6 in the US, but only in a de-Googled /e/OS, T-Mobile-locked configuration, as exclusively sold by Murena for $899).

As van Eck himself told me in October: “Of course, we are also looking into other markets, but as you know, if you go to the US, there's a little side [situation] where you have to look into antenna systems that are suitable for the bandwidth. You can roam perfectly well with the Fairphone 6 [in the US]. That's no problem. And we also see Murena selling the [de-Googled] Gen 6 in the US as well. But in order to be certified on the networks, you have to create a different antenna system, and our phones are modular.

“So that means we have to puzzle it all in, and [doing so] takes resources and time. [...] To sell in the US, there have to be aspects of the phone that are different from the European ones, or you have to design a phone for both markets.

“Our resources are scarce as well,” van Eck continued, “so we want to put them towards doubling down in the markets where we are very successful right now.”

Now, I’m not suggesting that Fairphone won’t find a way around this network certification conundrum, but it’s unlikely to do so in a timeframe that makes releasing the Fairphone 6 in the US a viable proposition (it launched in Europe in June). I can’t see the company completely redesigning an existing product for the sake of launching in a market that’s already dominated by Apple and Samsung.

As Reuters notes, more than 90% of phones sold in the US are sold through mobile network operators, meaning Fairphone has to expand into carrier channels rather than selling through its own website, or via a distribution partner like Amazon (as it will do for the Fairbuds XL).

Following this week's announcement, van Eck told The Verge that launching the Fairphone 6 in the US is a “complicated process” but something he hopes can be achieved “in the near future.” I think it’s more likely that we’ll see Fairphone release an entirely new product – one that’s compatible with US networks and regulations (potentially the Fairphone 7) – in a year’s time.

Again, Fairphone’s expansion into the US is absolutely a great thing for Fairphone and US consumers. But right-to-repair fans should temper their expectations: it doesn't look like the brand's eponymous modular smartphone will be launching outside of Europe any time soon.

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