Fairphone 6 Plus Launches in US Directly from Manufacturer at $649.99

Fairphone has begun selling the Fairphone 6 Plus directly to customers in the United States, marking the company's first direct US phone launch. Priced at $649.99, the handset is available unlocked through Fairphone's website and Amazon, with support for T-Mobile and AT&T networks, according to The Verge. In Europe, the phone costs €649, a €50 increase over the Fairphone 6 from last year.

Previously, Fairphones sold in the US were only available through a partnership with Murena, which offered a de-Googled version of Android. That arrangement forced buyers to use Murena's software and pay a premium; last year's Fairphone 6 carried a US price of $899. The Verge's review of the Fairphone 6 gave it a 7 out of 10, with the high US price noted as a drawback. The direct sale at a lower price removes that barrier.

The Fairphone 6 Plus is a relatively minor update over the 6. It features Qualcomm's Snapdragon 7s Gen 4 chipset, which The Verge describes as a solid midrange performer, and a notable increase to 12GB of RAM. Beyond the processor and memory, the specifications remain the same: a 6.31-inch OLED display (the 'Plus' does not indicate a larger screen), a basic dual rear camera, a 4,415mAh battery, 256GB of storage with microSD expansion up to 2TB, and Android 16 out of the box. Software support is promised until 2033.

The design is unchanged, which The Verge notes is likely to earn the same 10 out of 10 repairability score that iFixit awarded the Fairphone 6. Replacement parts will be sold in the US, with prices ranging from $7.99 for a SIM tray to $89.99 for a display. Almost the entire phone can be taken apart with a single Torx T5 screwdriver, a feature The Verge tested on the previous model.

Modular accessories, such as a card holder and lanyard, are also available, identical to last year's range except for a new Cobalt Blue color. The name references Fairphone's efforts to support ethical cobalt mining. Fairphone is also building a broader US presence, having launched the Fairbuds XL headphones on Amazon US last November. The company confirmed that new earbuds, the Fairbuds 2, will launch in the fourth quarter of this year and will 'set a new bar for repairability and performance,' with more details expected in October.