Fairphone Gen. 6+ Official: 12GB RAM for €649
As expected, the Dutch company Fairphone has announced the slightly updated Fairphone Gen. 6+. The device is more powerful and has more memory. It is also available in a new color. Additionally, Fairphone is releasing its own gallery app that can be installed on older Fairphones.
A lot had already been leaked, partly thanks to us. At the end of July, we reported as the first that it would come with 12GB instead of 8GB of RAM and that a new color was on the way; shortly after that, we had the first images of Cobalt Blue, and last week the announcement date and a price estimate. We now know the final price: €649. But that price raises a few questions.
On paper, that price isn’t too bad: €50 more than the €599 at which the Fairphone Gen. 6 launched last year. In stores, however, the situation is different. The standard Gen. 6 now costs only about €520, so anyone choosing today pays nearly €130 extra. In return, you get an extra 4GB of RAM, a chip that’s about 7 percent faster, and a new color.
Still, an 8 percent price increase on the suggested retail price is modest by today’s standards. Research firm Omdia expects the average selling price of a smartphone to rise by 21 percent this year, from 467 to 565 dollars, mainly due to the shortage of memory chips. The very model that comes with extra memory remains well below that increase. Either Fairphone is being remarkably generous here, or other manufacturers are passing on more than chip prices justify.
Seven years of updates instead of eight
Otherwise, the Gen. 6+ is the same phone as the Gen. 6: a 6.31-inch pOLED display with 120Hz, 256GB of storage with a microSD slot, a 4415 mAh battery that charges at 30W, IP55 rating, and the same cameras (50MP main camera, 13MP wide-angle camera, and 32MP selfie camera). New is Android 16, which comes pre-installed right out of the box.
More important than the specs is the update policy, and there’s a caveat there. In its announcement, Fairphone mentions support through at least 2033—exactly the end date the company lists on its own support page for the Gen. 6 from June 2025. That model received eight years of updates. Anyone who buys the Gen. 6+ today will therefore receive seven, at a higher suggested retail price. The Gen. 6+ is not yet listed separately on that support page, so that end date is not yet final.
Own gallery app
Aside from the slightly modified specifications and the new color, Fairphone is also introducing its own gallery app. From now on, you no longer have to store your photos in the cloud, on a server you don’t control. The app will also be released for other Fairphone models.
Just like its predecessor, you can repair the Gen. 6+ yourself. There are 12 parts you can replace yourself, ranging from a new battery (€39.95) to a new screen (€89.95). Fairphone is releasing the same accessories it released for the Gen. 6, now also available in blue, and you can mix and match them to your liking: a green phone lanyard on a blue phone or even a green back cover.
You can order the new Gen. 6+ in Cobalt Blue, Horizon Black, and Forest Green starting today from Fairphone or select online retailers. According to Fairphone, the first units will arrive at your doorstep in 2 to 5 days.
Buy or wait?
Who will find the extra cost worthwhile? Especially those who multitask heavily, play demanding games, or run AI features directly on the device, because that’s where you’ll really notice the extra 4GB. For WhatsApp, banking, navigation, and taking photos, 8GB is still more than enough—and in that case, the standard Gen. 6 for around €520 is simply the better buy. Keep an eye on that price in the coming weeks, because now that the Gen. 6+ is available, it could drop even further.
One group is in a hurry, though: owners of the Fairphone 3 and 3+, because software support expired this month. If you’re sticking with Fairphone, now is the time to choose between the competitively priced Gen. 6 and the Gen. 6+ with more RAM.
