5 Android phones you should buy instead of the Fairphone Gen 6 Plus

If you’re a big advocate of sustainability and right-to-repair, you’ve probably heard of Fairphone. The Dutch smartphone maker is famously known for offering sustainable materials, long software support, and user-replaceable components in its products.

The only problem is that its phones were limited mostly to Europe, but that changes with the latest Fairphone Gen 6 Plus. You can buy this in the US for $650, which gets you a decent mid-range phone with software support through 2033 and 12 user-replaceable parts.

The Fairphone Gen 6 Plus is truly unique as there are hardly any other products in the market that offer comparable repairability features. But, if you’re going to be spending $650 on a new phone and don’t mind compromising a bit on the repairability factor, there are plenty more powerful and feature-rich options to choose from.

These are the top five Android phones I’d recommend over the Fairphone Gen 6 Plus.

HMD Skyline

The HMD Skyline is the closest you can get to the Fairphone Gen 6 Plus’ repairability features, while also offering slightly better specs and costing less. Retailing for roughly $400, the Skyline lets you easily replace the battery and display with minimal effort. You also get a higher-resolution 108MP main camera, a third telephoto camera, a larger battery with wireless charging, and a slimmer design.

The HMD Skyline uses a mid-range Qualcomm Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 chip, which is only slightly behind the Gen 4 chip used in the Fairphone Gen 6 Plus. There’s 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, which is expandable. The POLED display gets an impressive 144Hz refresh rate, compared to 120Hz on the Fairphone.

My only hesitation with the Skyline is the two-year OS upgrade and three-year security update commitment. It launched with Android 14 in 2024, so it won’t get any updates beyond Android 16. That’s especially disappointing compared to the Fairphone’s promise of at least six major Android OS upgrades.

At $400, the HMD Skyline is still very much worth it when you factor in the Fairphone-like repairability features and better specs. It’s not a perfect replacement, but it’s about as close of one as you’ll find.

Google Pixel 10a

The Google Pixel 10a is the best dual-camera smartphone you’ll find under $500. Compared to the Fairphone Gen 6 Plus, you’re getting a lighter design, IP68-rated waterproofing, a much larger battery and wireless charging, and a bunch of cool Pixel-exclusive AI features. It’s amazing how much value Google has managed to deliver with this phone.

It’s worth noting that the Pixel 10a is nearly the same as the Pixel 9a, which is another great pick if you can find a deal. But the Pixel 10a is lighter, offers slightly faster wired charging, and supports a few more AI features not found in the 9a. Apart from the lack of built-in magnets for Qi2 wireless charging, it’s really hard to fault the Pixel 10a.

Google Pixel 10

If you want a more premium Android phone around the same price as the Fairphone Gen 6 Plus, the Google Pixel 10 hits the spot perfectly. Starting with the aluminum-and-glass design, the Pixel 10 looks just like its more expensive Pro siblings. It has the same display size as the Pixel 10a, but with tougher glass. There’s 12GB of RAM as standard, a 10.8MP rear telephoto camera, and built-in magnets for Qi2 charging and Pixelsnap accessories.

The Pixel 10 is powered by the Tensor G5, which introduced improvements to performance and power efficiency. While it’s not the best for gaming when compared to Qualcomm’s flagship chips, it should be comparable or better than the mid-range chip in the Fairphone. The Pixel 10 launched in 2025 for $799, but you can find some of the color variants online for as low as $730.

Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus

The middle child in the Galaxy S lineup is often overlooked, but the Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus is really good value today if you can find a good deal. The 256GB model in the Navy colorway is down to just $680 on Amazon, making it a superb flagship to own in 2026.

The Galaxy S25 Plus is only a year old, and it still has six more OS upgrades to go. It features the powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite chip, which is excellent for gaming and heavy multitasking. Plus, there’s an Ultra-Wideband chip inside that will come in handy for precision tracking of Bluetooth trackers like the Google Pixel Tag.

We weren’t kind to the Galaxy S25 Plus when we reviewed it, but that’s only because we were frustrated that we didn’t get any meaningful upgrades — yet again — to the cameras, design, or battery compared to previous generations. But if you don’t already own a Galaxy S24 Plus, this would be a good time to pick up the Galaxy S25 Plus.

Motorola Razr Plus (2025)

Wait, what? A foldable phone in the same price range as the Fairphone Gen 6 Plus? Trust Motorola to completely break the rules when it comes to phone pricing. The Motorola Razr Plus (2025) is now officially down to just $600, making it unbelievably good value. This feels like an even better deal when you consider that the 2026 Razr Plus is practically the same phone but with a bigger battery, and costs nearly $500 more.

The Razr Plus 2025 features a highly functional outer 4-inch display, letting you use most Android apps without unfolding the phone. Inside, there’s a bright and vivid 6.9-inch folding AMOLED screen with a 165Hz refresh rate. The phone uses the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8s Gen 3, which is easily faster than the chip in the Fairphone Gen 6 Plus. You get dual 50MP cameras, 45W fast wired charging, 15W wireless charging, and a lightweight design of just 189 grams. Software support is on the low side, though, with a maximum of three major OS upgrades and four years of security updates.