Photos: Making the world's first fair trade smartphone

By Lyndsey Gilpin // May 27, 2014, 5:23 AM PST // lyndseygilpin

Image 1 of 20

The pieces of a Fairphone

The Fairphone uses two conflict-free minerals out of a possible four, uses open design and software, and safe factory conditions for workers.
SEE:The gadget with a conscience: How Fairphone crowdfunded its way to an industry-changing smartphone

Image: Fairphone
Comparing to an iPhone

A Fairphone employee holds up an iPhone in comparison to Fairphone prototype during a design challenge bootcamp the company held.
SEE: The gadget with a conscience: How Fairphone crowdfunded its way to an industry-changing smartphone

Image: Fairphone
Dual SIM

The Fairphone, which was created in the Netherlands, has dual SIM cards.
SEE: The gadget with a conscience: How Fairphone crowdfunded its way to an industry-changing smartphone

Image: Fairphone
The Fairphone

Someone holds a prototype of a Fairphone. To date, Fairphone has shipped over 25,000 phones.
SEE: The gadget with a conscience: How Fairphone crowdfunded its way to an industry-changing smartphone

Image: Fairphone
Old phones

A pile of old phones that were thrown out, whose parts can be used for pieces in Fairphone production.
SEE: The gadget with a conscience: How Fairphone crowdfunded its way to an industry-changing smartphone

Image: Fairphone
Recycling old phones

Fairphone partnered with Closing the Loop, a Dutch foundation which aims to solve the problems with electronic waste disposal policies in developing countries.
SEE: The gadget with a conscience: How Fairphone crowdfunded its way to an industry-changing smartphone

Image: Fairphone
Valuable piecef of old phones

The Fairphone team went to Ghana to inspect how phone collection was managed and how community outreach is done by local partners.
SEE: The gadget with a conscience: How Fairphone crowdfunded its way to an industry-changing smartphone

Image: Fairphone
Design challenge

People who competed in the bootcamp design challenge in Amsterdam last year had three days to design a DIY phone that could last.
SEE: The gadget with a conscience: How Fairphone crowdfunded its way to an industry-changing smartphone

Image: Fairphone
GuoHong factory workers

At the GuoHong factory in China, Fairphone and the factory both pay $2.50 each on top of production costs to put toward a worker's welfare fund, and workers vote what to spend it on.
SEE: The gadget with a conscience: How Fairphone crowdfunded its way to an industry-changing smartphone

Image: Fairphone
Testing out the Fairphone

GuoHong is the manufacturer for Fairphone. The manufacturer wanted to break into the international market, even if it was with a few thousand phones made.
SEE: The gadget with a conscience: How Fairphone crowdfunded its way to an industry-changing smartphone

Image: Fairphone
Testing Fairphone

Workers at the GuoHong factory in China test out the Fairphone.
SEE: The gadget with a conscience: How Fairphone crowdfunded its way to an industry-changing smartphone

Image: Fairphone
Mobile World Congress

Fairphone sets up at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona earlier this year.
SEE: The gadget with a conscience: How Fairphone crowdfunded its way to an industry-changing smartphone

Image: Fairphone
Fairphone visits mines in Congo

Fairphone employees visited mines in the Congo to see where minerals for phones come from.
SEE: The gadget with a conscience: How Fairphone crowdfunded its way to an industry-changing smartphone

Image: Fairphone
Fairphone team

The Fairphone team visited mines in the Congo and learned about the life cycle of our smartphones.
SEE: The gadget with a conscience: How Fairphone crowdfunded its way to an industry-changing smartphone

Image: Fairphone
E-waste

A pile of e-waste in Ghana, where Fairphone team members traveled to learn about the life cycle of phones.
SEE: The gadget with a conscience: How Fairphone crowdfunded its way to an industry-changing smartphone

Image: Fairphone
Local partners in e-waste reduction

Fairphone team members talk to local partners in Accra, the capital of Ghana.
SEE: The gadget with a conscience: How Fairphone crowdfunded its way to an industry-changing smartphone

Image: Fairphone
Urban mining workshops

Fairphone hosts workshops and posts videos about how to disassemble old phones and utilize the parts inside, hoping to reduce e-waste.
SEE: The gadget with a conscience: How Fairphone crowdfunded its way to an industry-changing smartphone

Image: Fairphone
Urban mining

Fairphone team members meet throughout Europe to practice "urban mining," which allows them to use parts of old phones people have thrown away or donated.
SEE: The gadget with a conscience: How Fairphone crowdfunded its way to an industry-changing smartphone

Image: Fairphone
Precious minerals

At the Fairphone opening night, a display of precious minerals is shown to drive home the importance of conflict-free minerals and fair trade policies.
SEE: The gadget with a conscience: How Fairphone crowdfunded its way to an industry-changing smartphone

Image: Fairphone
Fairphone prototypes

A shelf of Fairphone prototypes sits on display at opening night in the office.
SEE: The gadget with a conscience: How Fairphone crowdfunded its way to an industry-changing smartphone

Image: Fairphone

The pieces of a Fairphone

The Fairphone uses two conflict-free minerals out of a possible four, uses open design and software, and safe factory conditions for workers.

SEE:The gadget with a conscience: How Fairphone crowdfunded its way to an industry-changing smartphone

Image: Fairphone

By Lyndsey Gilpin

Lyndsey Gilpin is a former Staff Writer for TechRepublic, covering sustainability and entrepreneurship. She's co-author of the book Follow the Geeks.

| Commenting FAQs | Community Guidelines

Join Discussion

Add your Comment

Add your Comment