Durable phones 🍃
Need a sustainable phone? Here you'll find the most sustainable phones and we'll explain why. Looking for a new sustainable phone? Then this is the beginning of your search.
1 product
Fairphone
Refurbished phones
24 products
European
All durable phones 🍃
At first glance, buying a new cell phone may not seem like the most sustainable thing you can do but sometimes you can't escape it.
Please consider refurbished phone
The most sustainable phone is the one you already have. After all, it doesn't need to be made anymore, no additional raw materials are needed for that. However, should your trusted companion be broken or in need of replacement there is little choice but to buy another one. Consider getting a refurbished phone. This is a used phone that has been refurbished and therefore has a second life.
Sustainability programs
The best way for a consumer to see how sustainable (or not) a phone is is by a the certification. There are several agencies and organizations that issue certificates to show whether products are sustainable or not. Here are the most important ones:
- B Corp
- Blue Angel
- EcoVadis
- TCO Certified
If a product on this website has a sustainability certification from the above organization we will mention it in the specifications.
.Sustainable materials
Phones are rarely sustainable because they are composed of rare metals and minerals. Think lithium, cobalt and tungsten. Many of these materials are scarce, difficult to extract or associated with human rights violations. Cobalt, for example, is known to often involve child labor. Finding alternatives is not always possible. It is therefore best to use as few of these materials as possible and to make agreements with the mines about good working conditions.
A brief overview of what is in your phone and what it is used for:
| Material | Application |
|---|---|
| Gold (Au) | Print plate and connectors |
| Cobalt (Co) | Battery and microchips |
| Copper (Cu) | Wiring |
| Gallium (Ga) | Semiconductors |
| Indium (In) | Semiconductors and touch sensors |
| Litium (Li) | Battery |
| Manganese (Mn) | Strengthening and battery |
| Nickel (Ni) | Stainless steel |
| Tin (Sn) | Solderings |
| Tantalum (Ta) | Condensators |
| Tellurium (Te) | Strengthening metals |
| Tungsten (W) | Trilling motor |
Specialized brands
As mentioned, an average phone contains quite a few rare metals and minerals. However, the less the better. And if there is no other way then as much as possible recycled or with good agreements with the mines where these are extracted. A good example of a company that does exactly that is Fairphone.
This Dutch company has been in business since 2013 and not only makes sustainable smartphones, it also tries to improve the entire chain around them. The company's phones are made from conflict-free materials and are largely self-repairable.
Repairability
Should your phone break, it is a lot more sustainable to repair it. This is much more difficult now because batteries are built in and virtually the entire front is glass. There are repair services and companies where you can get the screen replaced and a battery swap done. This is usually more economical than buying a new mobile.
Doing repairs yourself is difficult because phones are usually glued down. Companies don't make it easy for you either, such as by using non-standard screws. Apple is an apprehensive example of this. Moreover, the warranty usually expires if you try to open your phone yourself. Many large manufacturers are even actively lobbying to counter this "Right To Repair." They would rather you buy a new product than have one repaired.
Those who are not afraid to pry open glued phones can get started themselves. iFixit has many repair manuals available (in many languages) to fix a wide variety of phones and problems. Note that this often requires specialized tools. The company also awards scores for how easy a repair is to perform. To the extent that these are relevant we show them in the specifications. You can also visit the Dutch Fixje for manuals, parts and tools.
Committed software support
A phone's lifespan depends not only on its hardware, but increasingly on its software. For example, security problems can make it advisable to stop using a phone. Or a phone may no longer work because software is outdated. It is therefore important that manufacturers make commitments about how long they will maintain a phone with software and security updates.
The rule here is; the longer the better. Apple currently ranks best in this regard. An average iPhone gets 7 years of iOS and security updates. That is much longer than manufacturers of Android smartphones. Google, for example, promises at least 5 years of updates for its Pixel phones and Samsung up to 4 to 5 years for select Galaxy A, S and Z series models. Phones under the Android One program, such as Nokia's, also score reasonably well because they are required to release updates for at least 2 years.
It is advisable to check in advance what a manufacturer has promised about its update policy before buying. The longer a phone is supported, the longer it will last. And the longer it lasts, the more durable it is.
