Daniel Mercer
Fairphone, renowned for its commitment to sustainability in technology, reenters the audio market with the Fairbuds 2, a pair of modular wireless earbuds designed to minimize environmental impact.
Officially announced earlier this month, the Fairbuds 2 consist of seven user-replaceable components, including both individual earbuds and notably, all of the batteries.
Fairphone claims that the Fairbuds 2 are the only earbuds in the market allowing users to replace batteries in both the earbuds and the charging case. This innovation is significant, as battery failure is a common issue with wireless earbuds, most of which have batteries glued in place. When these batteries fail, the earbuds often become unusable. In contrast, Fairphone ensures that its wireless earbuds are entirely glue-free.
Beyond modularity, the Fairbuds 2 emphasize sustainability through their construction. They utilize recycled plastics and rare metals, sourced from workers who are paid fairly. The materials also avoid PFAS, harmful chemicals linked to various health issues, including cancer and immune system problems.
While modularity and sustainability are key features, the Fairbuds 2 also deliver on audio performance. They incorporate an 11mm bio-cellulose dynamic driver made from lightweight organic fibers, rather than traditional plastics or metals. This design aims to produce brighter treble and deeper bass, alongside clearer mids and highs. For the first time, these earbuds support Sony’s LDAC codec for high-resolution audio streaming.
The design of the Fairbuds 2 marks a departure from the first generation, featuring stems and capacitive touch controls. Fairphone has redesigned them for improved passive noise cancellation, resulting in a 37% reduction in size compared to the previous model, while the charging case is 32% smaller. Despite this compact design, the earbuds offer six hours of battery life with active noise cancellation (ANC) enabled and eight hours without it. While this battery life is average, it may be a worthwhile trade-off for a more environmentally friendly product.
In terms of features, the Fairbuds 2 include hybrid ANC that effectively cancels up to 45dB of external noise, along with a transparency mode and several preset equalizer settings accessible through the companion app. Although they may lack extensive features, the focus remains on repairability and sustainability, positioning Fairphone ahead of many competitors in these areas.
Priced at $119 in the U.S., the Fairbuds 2 will be available for purchase starting November 2, offered in green and black options.
Ethan Carter
