Ethical manufacturer Fairphone launched its first 5G device, touting the handset as the first electronic waste neutral smartphone released to market.

Fairphone 4 comes a year after its previous device and provides various upgrades including a larger display, additional rear camera and 5G connectivity.

The company noted it comes with a five-year warranty and guaranteed software support until the end of 2025, though it aims to extend the latter by two further years.

Fairphone 4 has a 6.3-inch HD+ display, Qualcomm Snapdragon 750G 5G chipset, 48MP dual camera on the rear, 3905mAh battery and runs Android 11. Internal storage options of 128GB or 256GB are available.

As part of its pledge to make the handset electronic waste neutral, the company pledged it will recycle one phone or an equal amount of small electronic waste for each sale.

As with its previous handsets, Fairphone 4 offers a modular design allowing for repair of broken or outdated components. The company committed to the “long term availability of spare parts,” alongside lengthy software support and extended warranties in a bid to extend the life of devices.

In a statement, it also highlighted use of recycled materials and those derived from “fair sources”. This includes Fairtrade-certified gold, recycled tin, and use of suppliers certified for providing safe and healthy working conditions.

The company claimed the device represented the latest step in a “journey to develop fair, long-lasting, high-quality devices and establish a market for ethical and fair electronics”.

Fairphone 4 is available through various operators around Europe alongside the vendor’s other retail channels for between €579 and €649 depending on internal memory requirements. The device will be released on 25 October with orders opening today (30 September).