Paul Jones / Android Authority
TL;DR
- The crew behind the GrapheneOS platform has criticized the Fairphone Gen 6 for obvious safety points.
- The crew added that the Fairphone mannequin bought within the US lacks “naked minimal” privateness and safety protections.
- Even the usual Fairphone Gen 6 was criticized for delayed software program patches and the dearth of a safe aspect.
Replace, July 18, 2025 (04:40 PM ET): We have now simply heard again from Fairphone in response to our inquiry. In a press release, the corporate explains:
Fairphone and Murena have a robust, proud partnership that provides many customers all over the world a safe, sustainable, and modular smartphone different – with a transparent deal with longevity and lasting worth. We’re dedicated to delivering working methods that meet market-standard safety expectations. Whereas we respect that there are completely different approaches to cellular safety, ours is rooted in following acknowledged requirements like Android Enterprise Really helpful (AER) and in pushing the trade ahead by elevating the bar on longevity.
Unique article, July 18, 2025 (04:36 AM ET): The Fairphone Gen 6 is among the finest Android telephones to get in order for you a repairable and sustainable smartphone expertise. The machine can be coming to the US with the Google-free /e/OS software program as an alternative of the standard Android OS. Nevertheless, it looks as if you must suppose twice about getting this variant in case you care about safety.
The crew behind the security-focused GrapheneOS Android platform has made some extraordinarily regarding claims concerning the Fairphone Gen 6 working /e/OS.
Is the US Fairphone Gen 6 a safety nightmare?
Fairphone Gen 6 units working /e/OS apparently lag “very far behind” the Android Open Supply Mission when it comes to OS and browser patches. Moreover, the crew alleges that /e/OS “disables or cripples” essential privateness and safety protections.
Sadly, the usual Fairphone Gen 6 wasn’t resistant to criticism, both:
Fairphone 6 doesn’t sustain with commonplace Android privateness/safety patches and has no safe aspect to supply working disk encryption for typical customers not utilizing a robust password, amongst different flaws.
“Lack of safe aspect throttling for disk encryption means customers with a typical 6-8 digit PIN or primary password is not going to have their knowledge protected towards extraction,” the crew defined. “Brute forcing the PIN or password set by the overwhelming majority of customers is trivial with out safe aspect throttling.”
How does this evaluate to different telephones? The crew famous that Pixel telephones and iPhones have a “high-quality” safe aspect whereas current Samsung telephones have a “primary” safe aspect.
Nevertheless, the GrapheneOS builders alleged that /e/OS was worse than the usual Fairphone Gen 6 software program because it “misleads” customers. Extra particularly, the crew claimed that /e/OS modifications the UI for the safety patch degree to “masks” what’s actually being supplied. The choice Fairphone OS additionally has an “inaccurate” safety patch degree because it ignores sure parts of safety patches.
Moreover, /e/OS is alleged to have “main points” offering browser updates. That’s a big drawback, as many apps default to the OS Webview, which successfully makes use of the system net browser. Lastly, the builders declare that /e/OS has its personal “invasive” providers and nonetheless makes use of numerous Google providers regardless of the deGoogled claims.
We’ve contacted each Fairphone and Murena (the corporate behind /e/OS) for touch upon these claims. We’ll replace the article as quickly as the businesses get again to us.
