The 6-year-old Fairphone 2 is set to receive its next major OS upgrade soon

Fairphone 2
Fairphone 2 (Image credit: Fairphone)

What you need to know

  • The Fairphone 2 is receiving a public Android 10 beta, with a stable release in early 2022.
  • The update comes after Android 9 was released for the phone in March.
  • Fairphone used its experience upgrading to Android 9 to speed up the process.

When it comes to software support, Android hasn't been exactly fantastic. However, Fairphone is apparently on a mission to prove that continued support is possible many years after launch with the announcement that the Fairphone 2 is set to receive Android 10.

Yes, the update is a tad behind, especially now that phones are receiving Android 12. However, to put things into perspective, this is a six-year-old Android phone that launched with Android 5.

No matter how you look at it, that's an impressive feat for an Android device launched in 2015 running a Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 chipset.

The announcement comes a mere eight months after the company pushed Android 9 to the Fairphone 2. In fact, the company used its experience from that and collaboration with the Fairphone community to improve and speed up the process to upgrade to Android 10, as highlighted by Agnes Crepet, head of software longevity and IT at Fairphone.

Our unique approach to software has allowed us to help our users keep their devices for as long as possible. We're pleased to be able to provide our Fairphone 2 community with yet another software upgrade, reaching our goal to provide at least five years of support from launch for our phones and with the Android 10 upgrade, we're going beyond that to seven years of support.We are constantly raising the bar for ourselves and the industry, showing that doing things more sustainably in software is possible."

The Fairphone 2 is rolling out the public beta and is expected to receive stable Android 10 in early 2022. The company hasn't announced plans for later versions of Android, although beta tests for Android 11 will begin this week for the Fairphone 3 devices.

Meanwhile, the company recently launched the Fairphone 4, which will receive six years of software updates. That's beyond the three or four years that OEMs of many of the best Android phones are promising.

Fairphone 4 Render

Fairphone 4

The Fairphone 4 continues a tradition of sustainability and repairability with upgraded specs and a promise of extended software support beyond what you'll find for most Android phones. It even has an easily swappable battery, so it'll last you for quite some time.

Derrek Lee
Managing Editor

Derrek is the managing editor of Android Central, helping to guide the site's editorial content and direction to reach and resonate with readers, old and new, who are just as passionate about tech as we are. He's been obsessed with mobile technology since he was 12, when he discovered the Nokia N90, and his love of flip phones and new form factors continues to this day. As a fitness enthusiast, he has always been curious about the intersection of tech and fitness. When he's not working, he's probably working out.

Read more
Qualcomm 8 years support for phones
Qualcomm and Google just announced a major update to Android updates
Android System Update
What does Qualcomm and Google's 8-year Android support promise mean for us?
The logo for Android 16 on a Pixel 9 Pro Fold.
Android 16 Beta 2 is here with new media, camera, and graphics updates
Honor Magic 7 Pro next to Vivo X200 Pro
Honor just scored a huge win against OPPO, Vivo, and Xiaomi
Holding the silver Nothing Phone (2a) Plus
Nothing further expands its Android 15 update to Phone 2a Plus
The logo for Android 16 on a Pixel 9 Pro Fold.
Android 16 Beta 3: All the latest features, eligible devices, release date, and more
Latest in Phones
Android Central's Lloyd sitting at a computer desk
Editor's Desk
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 on cobblestone road
One UI 7 Beta 3 for the Galaxy Z Flip 6, Fold 6 brings two notable AI additions
Nothing Phone 3a Pro
Nothing OS 3.1 update lets Phone 3a, 3a Pro users snap and save to Essential Spaces
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S10+ on a desk.
Ditch Amazon and score 50% OFF the Galaxy Tab S10 Plus with this deal from Samsung
Qualcomm logo
Qualcomm might ditch the 'Elite' tag and go with Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 for its next chip
Top-down view of four different Galaxy S25 Ultra colors
New leak hints at major camera upgrade in the books for Galaxy S26 Ultra
Latest in News
Top Charts in the Play Store on the Galaxy S25 Ultra
Google Play Store will get more tools to protect users from scammy apps
Google Gemini Image Query on Google Pixel 9 Pro XL
Gemini could soon allow you to upload multiple images in a single prompt
Google Maps on Android Auto
Gemini could soon replace Google Assistant in Android Auto 14.0
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 on cobblestone road
One UI 7 Beta 3 for the Galaxy Z Flip 6, Fold 6 brings two notable AI additions
Gemini 2.5 Pro graphics and benchmark results.
Gemini 2.5 Pro is Google's latest AI model with thinking and multimodality built-in
Nothing Phone 3a Pro
Nothing OS 3.1 update lets Phone 3a, 3a Pro users snap and save to Essential Spaces