The Phone Co-op - described as the UK’s only telecommunications co-operative - has become the only UK mobile telecom provider to stock the Fairphone ethical smartphone. It’s offering the handset with no initial charge on ‘pay monthly’ contracts costing from £22 incl. VAT per month.
Produced for Amsterdam-based Fairphone B.V., the Fairphone FP1U smartphone runs Android v4.2.2 on a quad-core 1.2GHz processor. There’s an 8 megapixel rear-facing camera, a 1.3 megapixel front-facing camera, 16GB of expandable storage, dual-SIM capability and a 4.3-inch (960 x 540 pixel) display protected by toughened glass.
Vivian Woodell, Chief Executive of The Phone Co-op, said “We are delighted that our partnership with Fairphone means we are able to build on our reputation as the leading ethical provider of telecoms, by supplying what must be the most ethical mobile handset on the market. Fairphone’s initiative raises awareness of important issues about the supply chain for products we use every day. This partnership brings together two of Europe’s most radical and dynamic social enterprises, organisations with shared values, to make a difference in our industry. We are proud of what we, together with our customers, are achieving by sending a message to politicians and manufacturers that we care about how phones are made.”
Fairphone is built with conflict-free minerals from the Democratic Republic of the Congo in a factory with a worker-controlled welfare fund.