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If you’re familiar with Fairphone, then there’s a big chance that you might have heard of the brand’s “Fairphone Easy” subscription service, which served as a way to provide Fairphone users with devices in a sustainable manner, and the added benefit of after-sales service, repairs, and such. However, it seems that the program wasn’t as profitable as expected, according to Fairphone. Part of the company’s post reads:
“It is with a heavy heart that we have taken the not-so-easy decision to discontinue Fairphone Easy… at the moment, at least.”
“Fairphone Easy’s phone-as-a-service subscription model reaffirmed our commitment to a circular economy. When we launched the program in the Netherlands in 2022, the idea was that it would provide a more sustainable alternative to the rather linear market approach of produce-sell-dispose that we see at play today. Unfortunately, due to various reasons, we cannot continue with the service right now.”
Based on customer feedback, Fairphone notes that customers were more likely to buy their devices outright rather than subscribe to a rental service of sorts, citing reasons including privacy, as well as “personal attachment” given that smartphones are a very personal device. Additionally, the Fairphone 5’s delayed inclusion under the Fairphone Easy service was another reason as well.
“While we did have plans to eventually add the Fairphone 5 to our Fairphone Easy bouquet, we couldn’t do it fast enough. And while a majority of our subscribers were willing to wait, we did see a few cancellations pouring in, signalling a proclivity for the latest and greatest.”
At the moment, the service will no longer exist in the Netherlands, although the company states that users can opt to lease a Fairphone in other parts of Europe via Everphone in Germany and Commown.
Source: Fairphone
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