Fairphone releases open version of Android 6
Today Fairphone has released Fairphone Open, an open version of Android 6 Marshmallow, to its users. This version of Android has publically available source code and does not have pre-installed Google Mobile Services (GMS), while the standard Fairphone OS comes with these popular services. Fairphone Open gets the same support, regular updates and security fixes as the regular Fairphone OS.
Fairphone also announced a partnership with Qwant, the European search engine that protects its users privacy. Fairphone aims to include the search engine on the Fairphone 2. Based in France, Qwant provides an ethical and comprehensive search engine that does not collect any personal information.
Giving choice to our community
The release of Fairphone Open continues to give users the opportunity to choose between two different operating systems that Fairphone actively supports. Those give everyone the choice to choose actively what apps and services they want to run on their devices. By publishing the source code Fairphone also invites everyone to contribute to the ecosystem of the Fairphone 2. This has already enabled the Fairphone community to independently port different operating systems to the Fairphone. These include Lineage OS (with Android 7) Sailfish OS, Firefox OS and Ubuntu Touch by UBports.
More alternative operating systems
Fairphone launched code.fairphone.com in the beginning of 2016, which is an open source and development website that contains the code for the Open Android Version of Fairphone OS and now also shows the code for its newly released operating system Android 6 Open. The release of the source code lays bare how the device functions, and with programming experience every user can find out through this code how their device works. This form of transparency gives everyone the opportunity to fully understand and control their device. Apart from booting alternative operating systems on the Fairphone 2, users could even write their own software updates based on the source code, which supports Fairphone’s vision for long lasting devices.
Fairphone 2 Key Technical Specifications
Display
5-inch, Full HD LCD display
Gorilla® Glass 3
Operating System
Android ™ 5.1 ( Lollipop)
SIM slots
Dual SIM
Connectivity
4G LTE/3G/2G
Wi-Fi (802.11 b/g/n/ac),
Bluetooth® 4.0 LE, GPS
Platform
Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 801 platform,
2GB RAM
Camera
8 megapixel rear camera
Battery
2420 mAh removable lithium-ion battery
Storage
32 GB internal storage
Expandable storage via MicroSD slot
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Joanne Carter
Joanne Carter is a British photography journalist, editor, curator, and the founder of *TheAppWhisperer.com*, one of the world’s leading platforms dedicated to mobile photography and art. Since its launch in 2009, TheAppWhisperer has become an international hub for artists of all levels to discover, learn, exhibit, and engage with contemporary photographic practice.Built on principles of inclusivity, accessibility, and artistic excellence, Joanne has spent almost two decades championing mobile photography as a serious artistic medium. Through interviews, critical essays, exhibitions, competitions, and education, she has helped shape and document the evolution of mobile art on a global scale.Her work has taken her internationally, lecturing on photography and mobile art at institutions and events including the Museum of Art in Seoul, South Korea, alongside appearances in the UK and Europe. She has served as a juror for international photography and mobile art awards across Portugal, Canada, the United States, South Korea, Italy, and the UK.Joanne is also the founder of *TheAppWhispererPrintSales.com*, one of the first online galleries dedicated exclusively to collectible mobile art, connecting artists with collectors across Europe, the United States, and Asia.Before founding TheAppWhisperer, Joanne worked extensively in print journalism and photographic publishing, including roles at a paparazzi photo agency and as deputy editor of a leading photography magazine. Her freelance journalism, criticism, and commentary have been published widely in both the UK and the US, with bylines in *The Times*, *The Sunday Times*, *The Guardian*, *Popular Photography*, *NikonPro*, *DPReview*, *Which?*, *Vogue Italia*, *LensCulture*, the *BBC*, and more recently, the *Financial Times*, where her published letters on photography continue to contribute to wider conversations around the medium.Alongside her editorial and curatorial work, Joanne’s own photographic practice has been exhibited internationally across the UK, Europe, South Korea, and the United States. Her work increasingly explores themes of grief, loss, death, memory, and the body.Her current research interests centre on grief, death, and poverty, with forthcoming postgraduate study leading towards doctoral research in these areas.Joanne is currently developing new long-form writing and photographic projects and is available for commissions, editorial projects, speaking engagements, and collaborations.Contact: joannetheappwhisperer@gmail.com)
