Last year, my old phone finally decided it was end of life, and after much research, I decided to replace it with a Fairphone 3. A few days later, I unboxed my shiny (and surprisingly heavy) new toy, and I learned that Moments after completing my order, the company released a Fairphone 3 Plus with improved front and rear cameras. Annoy. However, it was not a problem. The Fairphone is a little different from your typical phone. Not only is it manufactured as ethically as possible, with factory workers paid a living wage and metals sourced as responsibly as possible, but it's also modular, so you can buy parts and replace them yourself. Much of the phone's extra weight comes from being held in place with screws rather than glue, and it even comes with a small Philips 00 screwdriver to entice you to open it up and start tinkering.
(Image credit: Avenir) Everything looked great so I got my hands on the replacement top unit and camera that would upgrade my phone and then did nothing. Many of my coworkers aren't too fond of the Fairphone, despite its green credentials, but mine is very important to me. It wasn't cheap either. What if, buttery fingers that I am, I break something? And so the drives sat in their little blue wrappers until, nearly a year after the 3 Plus's launch, I finally couldn't take the guilt anymore and reached for my little screwdriver. It was time to start.
Open it
The top module (containing the 16MP front camera) and the 48MP rear camera module are sold separately and come in their own small protective package. I opened one and pulled out an how-to guide that was linked to video tutorials, general tips on preparing your workspace, and a warning that misuse of components could result in death, injury, or environmental damage. Good to know.
The replacement phone's top unit instruction booklet warns of the dangers of improper use (along with the URL of a cheery YouTube video tutorial) (Image credit: Future) First off, the cheery lady in the video from YouTube advised me to remove the bumper of my phone and remove the back cover. No problem: it's a flexible, translucent piece of plastic that snaps on and off easily, and had to be taken out to fit the SIM on day one. Then I took out the battery. Without difficulty. After that, things got interesting. The next step was to take that little Philips 00 and remove a total of 13 small screws holding the phone's display unit in place. Make absolutely sure you do this on a flat surface and place each screw in a container while you remove it.
The screen is held in place by 13 screws. Be sure to store them in a safe place! (Image credit: Avenir) With that done, it was time to remove the display unit. To do this, hold the phone with your right thumb on the battery compartment and press down until it starts to release. It took a little more force than I expected. It finally went away, and after separating the two sections of the phone, I was ready to move on to the next step: removing the top unit.
Removing the display unit took a bit more pressure than I expected, but it turned out fine once I got a little tougher (Image credit: Future)
Date the old man
The next job also took a little more oomph than I expected. A small ribbon cable transfers data from the top unit of the phone to its processor and must be disconnected before the unit can be removed. This is done by using your fingernail to hammer in a small clip. It looked easy enough in the video, but like removing the display unit, it took a bit more force than I expected. It'll also be tough if you're a chronic nail-biter, and something like the iFixit opening tool will come in handy if you've been biting yours too much.
The top unit has a ribbon cable that you can disconnect with a fingernail (as long as your fingernails are strong enough) (Image credit: Future) With that done, it was time to remove a few more screws, just two this time. They're the same ones used on the rest of the phone, so if you're tracking at home, don't worry about mixing them up. In fact, removing the old top unit turned out to be the most painful part of the operation. The video showed him coming out effortlessly, but mine seemed to be a little closer together. The instructor seemed to tone it down by slightly bending the phone, but I could imagine a sudden snap ending my DIY efforts.
The top unit was harder to remove than the video suggested, but only very slightly (Image credit: Future) Ultimately, I decided to lay the whole phone face down and let gravity do a bit of the work for me. With just the gentlest of twists, the top unit was freed and the phone was ready for its transplant.
In the new
Installing the new top unit was simplicity itself. I only had to remove the blue plastic covering the lens (something not mentioned in the video but worth remembering unless you're a huge fan of Instagram filters. Once that was done I put the screws back in and then i firmly snapped the ribbon cable into place.emboldened, i repeated the process to replace the camera unit.it was exactly the same, but removing the old camera was much easier as i was able to gently press its lens to release it.
Swapping out the old camera module for the new one was even easier than replacing the top module (Image credit: Future) Again, mounting the new camera involved peeling off the sticky blue plastic and then snapping the unit back into place. I reattached the ribbon cable and proceeded to replace the 15 screws (two for the camera, plus the 13 that hold the display unit). I managed not to lose any of them, although I was stumped for a few minutes when I got to the last screw and couldn't see its corresponding hole. It should be noted that the order in which you remove and replace the screws does not matter, as long as you get them all. I finally saw the rogue hole on the right edge and slid the screw into place and tightened.
The screen is held in place by 13 screws. Don't lose them! (Image credit: Avenir) Finally, I put the battery in, pushed the back cover in (it really does make a satisfying click), crossed my fingers, and held down the power button. To my relief, the Fairphone logo appeared on the screen and it booted normally, but the real test was experimenting with my new additions. I grabbed the first things I could get my hands on and left.
Even the best camera can't make up for my poor composition skills (Image credit: Future) The operation was a success! The new camera doesn't offer the same quality as an iPhone 12, but it's a great upgrade. However, I am now the proud owner of a Fairphone 3 Plus, just 10 months after its initial release. I also tried the selfie camera, but it's pretty ruthless, so you have to take my word for it. Overall the process was extremely easy, and I definitely wouldn't hesitate to take that little screwdriver and snap it back into place. The Fairphone team is true to their word, and it's very easy to open the phone and get stuck. I hope there will be more updates in the future. A new phone is only 13 screws away. Today's best Android phone deals