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Repairable phone manufacturer Fairphone has announced a new range of USB cables and chargers. While they’re not user-repairable, the company says that they’re more durable and sustainably manufactured than its previous peripherals. And even for people without a Fairphone device, they should make for a more affordable entry point to its more ethical take on tech.
The new USB cables are all C-to-C, but include a removable USB-A adapter too. They all support 240W power output, are built to withstand at least 70,000 bends (I’ve seen up to 30,000 from brands like Belkin and Ugreen, though Anker’s top Prime cable claims to have been tested for 300,000 bends), and use entirely recycled copper wires and recycled plastic braiding and cable jackets. For the first time the gold and silver are bought using Fairmined credits, which doesn’t guarantee that the metals were responsibly mined, but does see a portion of the funds directed to small-scale, responsible mines.
There are three cables in the range: 1m (3.3ft) and 2.5m (8.2ft) versions using the USB 2.0 spec from €19.95 (around $23), and a 1m (3.3ft) version using USB 3.2 for €34.95 (around $40). This has had some upgrades from Fairphone’s previous USB 3.2 cable, now supporting up to 20 Gbps transfer speeds along with video output of 4K at 120Hz and 8K at 30Hz.
Fairphone is also launching two new chargers using 100 percent recycled plastic in the casing and recycled copper-zinc alloy plug pins. A 30W version is available now for €24.95 (around $29), with a single USB-C port and support for common charging standards including PD, PPS, and Samsung and Apple’s charging specs. A three-port 65W version is set to launch before the end of September. Both chargers come in UK and EU versions.
All of the new products have been assembled using exclusively green energy, and include a three-year warranty as standard. They’re available through Fairphone and its partner retailers in Europe, but Fairphone’s public relations manager Alon Brandt told me that they’re still waiting on certification for a US release.
I’m currently reviewing the Fairphone 6, the company’s most recent phone, so keep an eye out for my verdict on that this week. Like that phone, these peripherals are more expensive than comparable models on the market, but paying extra gets you the ethical boost of fairer production plus the practical benefit of an extended warranty. And if dropping $899 on a more sustainable phone feels out of reach, perhaps spending $20-40 on more ethical accessories is a little more achievable.
