Fairphone is officially killing this phone in August, but it isn't actually dying

Fairphone just announced it's retiring the Fairphone 3 in August, but here's the kicker: the phone isn't actually dying. The company is handing it off to someone else to keep it alive for two more years, and I can't think of any other phone maker that has done this.

What Fairphone is actually doing

A new report shared that Fairphone will officially end support for the Fairphone 3 in August 2026, wrapping up seven years of updates for a phone that launched back in 2019. That's already double or triple what most Android phones get.

Instead of pulling the plug, however, Fairphone partnered with Murena to keep the phone going through /e/OS, a privacy-focused Android fork. Owners who switch will keep getting security patches, stability fixes, and built-in tracker blocking through 2028.

The wildest part is that Murena is also pushing the Fairphone 3's /e/OS build from Android 13 all the way up to Android 15. A 2019 phone, dragged onto a modern Android base, for free.

This is the playbook every OEM should be copying

I genuinely cannot think of another phone maker that has done this. Samsung, Google, and Apple pat themselves on the back for seven years of updates on flagship devices, and meanwhile a tiny Dutch company is squeezing nine years out of a phone that launched with a Snapdragon 632.

When Fairphone announced it was entering the US market last year, the Fairphone 6's eight-year support promise felt almost too good to be true. Now we're watching them deliver on that philosophy with a phone they could've quietly killed off. That's a receipt, and the rest of the industry should be reading it.

So why isn't this a bigger deal?

Because most people who own a Fairphone 3 are already deep in tech-enthusiast territory. This isn't a phone you buy at a Verizon kiosk or see in a TV ad, however, it's not even sold through US carriers, period. Honestly, I've never once heard a non-tech person mention Fairphone in casual conversation, and I doubt many of you have either.

So when the "catch" is that owners have to flash /e/OS themselves, that filter doesn't really apply here. If you bought a Fairphone, you almost certainly know what flashing a ROM means, or you're the kind of person who'll happily Google it. The official Murena guide walks you through the process step by step.

What this really means

The story isn't really about the Fairphone 3 anymore, it's about Fairphone proving that "end of support" doesn't have to mean "throw your phone away." Even if the user base is small, the precedent is huge.

Honestly, I'd love to see Samsung or Google partner with someone like LineageOS to do this for old Galaxy or Pixel devices once official support runs out. It would cost them almost nothing, it would massively reduce e-waste, and it would buy them goodwill that no marketing budget can fake.

Get Visible as low as $20/mo for 1 year. Limited time offer with code: FRESHSTART

$20 /mo

$25

$5 off (20%)

Offer Ends 6.1.2026 at 11.59pm ET. New members get $5/mo off the $25/mg Visible plan, $35/mo Visible+ plan, or $45/mo Visible+ Pro plan for the first 12 months. Promo code FRESHSTART required at checkout.

Buy at Visible