5 Easy-to-Repair Modern Smartphones
- While manufacturers increasingly promise multi-year operating system updates, broken screens and degrading batteries remain expensive and complex to fix on most modern handsets.
- The Fairphone 6 and its upgraded sibling, the Fairphone 6 Plus, place device repairability at the center of their hardware design, according to SlashGear reporting.
- Repair costs highlight a sharp contrast between modular alternatives and traditional flagship phones.
While manufacturers increasingly promise multi-year operating system updates, broken screens and degrading batteries remain expensive and complex to fix on most modern handsets. A small group of hardware makers now prioritize internal modularity and accessible parts to help users hold onto their devices longer.
Fairphone 6 Leads Market in Modular Design
The Fairphone 6 and its upgraded sibling, the Fairphone 6 Plus, place device repairability at the center of their hardware design, according to SlashGear reporting. Released in August 2026 at a price of roughly $649, the Fairphone 6 Plus earned a perfect repairability score of 10 out of 10 from iFixit. This rating places the handset far ahead of mainstream flagship devices manufactured by dominant industry competitors. Unlike traditional smartphone designs that require heating chemical adhesives and removing numerous ribbon cables, the Fairphone interior uses an organized modular layout. Users can access internal components using a single Torx T5 screwdriver included with the device. The hardware relies on straightforward steps of unscrewing, sliding, and lifting out modules for replacement.
Comparative Repair Costs and Parts Availability
Repair costs highlight a sharp contrast between modular alternatives and traditional flagship phones. Fairphone supplies official replacement parts directly to consumers at affordable prices, offering a replacement screen for $89.95. By comparison, replacing an iPhone 17 Pro screen through Apple costs approximately $329, according to data cited by SlashGear. Beyond pricing transparency, the company publishes detailed self-service repair manuals for owners. The base Fairphone 6, launched in June 2025, matches the newer Plus model by securing a 10 out of 10 iFixit score. Both variations allow owners to swap out failing components independently, provided the manufacturer maintains production of official spare parts.
Hardware Specifications and Long-Term Software Support
Focusing on repairability does not force compromises in daily performance or hardware specifications. The Fairphone 6 Plus features a Gorilla Glass display with an adaptive 120Hz refresh rate alongside a 50-megapixel main camera capable of capturing 4K video at 30 frames per second. Internal hardware includes a Qualcomm Snapdragon 7s Gen 4 processor, 12GB of RAM, and 256GB of internal storage that supports expandable memory. Powering the device is a 4,415 mAh battery that supports 30-watt fast charging. To match its hardware longevity, Fairphone backs the handset with official software updates scheduled through 2033. Users can extend the operational lifespan of the hardware even further by installing alternative operating systems such as LineageOS.