Fairphone, the Dutch company behind the modular Android smartphone with the same name, has just shared important information about one of its devices that should have received a major update last year.
Aimed at tech-savvy customers, Fairphone smartphones feature modular design, which means their parts can be easily replaced for upgrades or in case of malfunction. Of course, all replacement parts are provided by Fairphone, along with the software.
One of the older smartphones launched by the Dutch company, Fairphone 4, should have received the Android 14 update last year. However, Fairphone confirmed back in November that the update is no longer coming in 2024 and that customers who bought the phone should wait until this year.
After leaving its community in the dark for five months, Fairphone has finally issued a statement regarding the state of the Android 14 update for Fairphone 4, and things aren’t looking well.
Long story short, Fairphone 4 will no longer receive Android 14. That’s the bad news. The good news is Fairphone plans to upgrade the device directly to Android 15. However, it’s unclear when the new update will arrive, as Fairphone claims “it’s still a complicated process with multiple partners involved.”
Fairphone 4 was launched back in 2021 | Image credit: Fairphone
As to why Fairphone decided to quit working on Android 14 for Fairphone 4 and bring the phone directly to Android 15, it’s easy to guess. After hitting a snag with the development of the promised update, it has become obvious that if these issues would eventually overcome, Android 14 would be released around the same time Google launches Android 15 (or even later).
It makes much more sense to cut your losses and redirect all your resources into the most recent version of the OS, and that’s Android 15.
We had hoped to deliver Android 14 for Fairphone 4 users by the start of 2025, and we know how disappointing it is that we haven’t made that happen yet. That said, we haven’t dropped support for the Fairphone 4. After thoroughly evaluating what it would take to deliver a stable Android 14 update, we’ve made the difficult decision to shift our focus directly to Android 15.
– The Fairphone Team, May 2025
Besides informing its customers that Fairphone 4 will no longer receive Android 14 and instead will be upgraded to Android 15, the Dutch company also promised to expand its support team to shorten the wait times. It remains to be seen how things will turn out, but if you own a Fairphone 4, don’t get your hopes too high.
Cosmin, a tech journalist with a career spanning over a decade, brings a wealth of experience to PhoneArena. His expertise lies in brands like Samsung and Nokia, and he has a keen interest in innovative technologies. After a brief stint in PR, Cosmin returned to tech journalism in 2016, committed to delivering clear and objective news. When he's not writing or appearing as a guest on TV and radio shows, Cosmin enjoys playing RPGs, watching Netflix, and nurturing his passion for history and travel.
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