With completely wireless earbuds, the rule is: when the battery fails, they have to be disposed of. Not so with the Fairbuds, that allow you to replace batteries in just a few seconds. Combined with a repairable design, the earbuds should therefore have an extremely long lifetime.
Following on from the Fairbuds XL (approx. 289 euros on Amazon) over-ear headphones, Fairphone is unveiling its first completely wireless earphones, which should impress above all with their particularly durable design. The batteries of the two earphones and the charging case can all be replaced in less than 30 seconds, while all other components can also be replaced, albeit with a little more effort.
The IP54 certification promises protection against rain and sweat. The Fairbuds are also said to be made partly from recycled materials and are e-waste neutral, as Fairphone recycles the same amount of e-waste for every pair of Fairbuds produced. The features are also impressive, as the Fairbuds offer active noise cancellation (ANC), ambient noise suppression during calls, and Bluetooth Multipoint to connect to two devices at the same time.
The earphones use Bluetooth 5.3 but only support AAC and SBC codecs. Playback can be controlled via a touch surface on the back of the earphones. Fairphone uses 11-millimeter titanium-coated drivers, the sound of which can be adjusted using an equalizer in the corresponding app for iOS and Android. The 45 mAh battery promises a runtime of five hours with ANC activated, while the charging case stores enough energy for three full charges. Charging is possible via USB-C, but wireless charging is not supported.
Prices and availability
The Fairbuds are now available for 149 euros in the Fairphone online store in either black or white. Fairphone offers a three-year warranty for the Fairbuds.
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Editor of the original article: Hannes Brecher - Senior Tech Writer - 20505 articles published on Notebookcheck since 2018
Since 2009 I have written for different publications with a focus on consumer electronics. I joined the Notebookcheck news team in 2018 and have combined my many years of experience with laptops and smartphones with my lifelong passion for technology to create informative content for our readers about new developments in this sphere. In addition, my design background as an art director at an ad agency has allowed me to have deeper insights into the peculiarities of this industry.
Hannes Brecher, 2024-04- 9 (Update: 2026-02-18)