I want headphones and earbuds that last; only one company is making them
By Google News Technology ·
Tom has been covering technology since 2019, having worked as part of the phones team at TechRadar and then as an editor at What to Watch. Since 2025 he’s been a freelance contributor for many more brands including Digital Trends. BGR, TechRadar Gaming, TechAdvisor and GamesRadar.
He's written about myriad topics over his career including phones and tablets, headphones and earbuds, fitness and AV, and enjoys adding more beats to his repertoire. Outside of technology he’s also written reviews and features on games, movies and sports, having worked for many years as an editor at movie & TV website WhattoWatch.
He's attended tech launches, product shows, movie premieres and game launches to do so.
Tom is based in London, UK, and when not covering technology he does work in the film sector, enjoys to run, cycle, climb and play tennis, and plays several instruments.
I review dozens of pairs of earbuds and headphones every year, and have been doing so for ages. If there's one problem I've noticed with this kind of gadget, it's that most aren't built to last.
Even if you know how to care for and clean your earbuds, most in-ear players break easily. Wires snap, charging cases stop charging, and ear tips break. I've seen it happen with buds from big-name brands and smaller, unknown ones.
You don't have to swear off wireless earbuds for good, though. I've found a brand that makes audio products designed to last, but there's a good chance you didn't know it made headphones.
The Dutch tech brand Fairphone has operated in Europe for years now, but it only made its first big splash in the US earlier in 2026, with the release of its smartphone: the Fairphone 6 Plus.
Fairphone's whole ethos is eco-friendly tech. That means components are sourced sustainably, largely from fairly paid or recycled sources, and built in factories powered by renewable energy.
More importantly, the devices are built to last too. The 6 Plus' intended seven-year lifespan beats loads of rivals, and its sturdy build and software support ensure that's a promised time span you may actually reach.
Another Fairphone trait helps its gadgets last for years: repairability. All of its gadgets are designed so that, if a component breaks, you can easily buy a replacement part online and install it yourself.
You don't need to take your Fairphone gadget to a repair shop. Using a screwdriver, you can remove batteries, camera modules, or a screen, and swap them out yourself.
I've tested a few Fairphone mobiles, and it's as easy as it sounds. I find them easy to open and poke around in. It's simple enough that even a technophobe could easily replace a part. If you can follow instructions, you can swap out a battery.
Repairability is a growing concern in the mobile world, especially as the EU's increasingly stringent repairability rules force companies worldwide to rethink their strategies, and some brands like Rakuten Kobo and Framework were already on top of it.
In the portable audio domain, though, it's another story, and it doesn't help that the EU has exempted earbud makers from its repairability rules. It's incredibly hard to fix broken products, and it doesn't help that they're rarely built to last.
This brings us back to Fairphone. Along with making mobiles, the brand dabbles in audio products. Before its first phone reached the US, it sold this tech on its online store. You're forgiven for not knowing; it wasn't a big brand.
Fairphone has two audio gadgets: the FairBuds…
Originally published by Google News Technology
