You probably know Fairphone because of its unique business model — it sells smartphones that were made ethically, by supply chain workers that earn a fair wage, and that are also built from the ground up with repairability in mind. Now, the company is entering the headphone space.
Fairphone just launched headphones, and they’re called the “Fairbuds XL.” Despite the fact that they’re clearly not “buds” but rather over-ear headphones, these look like a pretty solid product. Fairphone is making these with the same philosophy that it used with its smartphones — it’s a product that’s made ethically and can be easily fixed. That’s an important consideration in a world where popular options like the Apple AirPods Pro are completely unrepairable.
The headphones are comprised of several modular parts that are easy to take apart and replace if you ever need to do so. If something does break, you can just buy the replacement part from Fairphone and install it.
According to Fairphone, these were built from the ground up to ensure that they go through the same ethical process their smartphones go through. The supply chain workers building these supposedly earn decent money and have fair working conditions, and the headphones also use fairtrade gold. All in all, Fairphone takes care of the small details.
The headphones are listed at a €249 price point — that might be on the expensive side, but the way the company manages the supply chain and develops its products play a big role in that price point. And as you’re probably able to guess by the euro sign, these are not available in the United States. Bummer.
Source: TechCrunch, Fairphone
