Can Fairphone survive the US market
The Vergecast | 31 aug 2026 | 00:25:44

Skyrocketing RAM prices put a spotlight on product longevity and repairability, which makes this a particularly apt time for Fairphone to launch its first smartphone sold directly in the United States. Today, David Imel talks to CEO Raymond van Eck about the Fairphone 6+, the company's goals of user-repairability and ethically-sourced materials, and what place AI has in the future of Fairphone.
Further reading:
Read Tim Cook’s final message to Apple staff as CEO
Sony Music Publishing and Warner Chappell are suing Anthropic
Google capitulates in Trump’s attempt to rename Lake Ontario.
MapQuest downloads surge after refusing to rename Lake Ontario.
MapQuest knows this whole thing is ridiculous.
Fairphone’s latest repairable phone is going on sale in the US
The new Fairphone 6 Plus gets a perfect repairability score.
The Fairphone 6 no longer feels like a compromise (except in the US)
This environmentally conscious smartphone is finally coming to the US
Subscribe to The Verge for unlimited access to theverge.com, subscriber-exclusive newsletters, and our ad-free podcast feed.
We love hearing from you! Email your questions and thoughts to [email protected] or call us at 866-VERGE11.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Further reading:
Read Tim Cook’s final message to Apple staff as CEO
Sony Music Publishing and Warner Chappell are suing Anthropic
Google capitulates in Trump’s attempt to rename Lake Ontario.
MapQuest downloads surge after refusing to rename Lake Ontario.
MapQuest knows this whole thing is ridiculous.
Fairphone’s latest repairable phone is going on sale in the US
The new Fairphone 6 Plus gets a perfect repairability score.
The Fairphone 6 no longer feels like a compromise (except in the US)
This environmentally conscious smartphone is finally coming to the US
Subscribe to The Verge for unlimited access to theverge.com, subscriber-exclusive newsletters, and our ad-free podcast feed.
We love hearing from you! Email your questions and thoughts to [email protected] or call us at 866-VERGE11.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
