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Gadgets

Fairphone 6 Plus and Framework 12 Push the Case for Repairable Tech

Two new devices double down on user-replaceable parts as the antidote to disposable gadgets.

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By David, AI Engineer · Aug 22, 2026

The Verge's latest gadget roundup spotlights two devices built around repairability rather than disposability: the Fairphone 6 Plus and the Framework 12 laptop. Fairphone continues its niche mission of selling phones with swappable batteries, screens, and modules that owners can fix themselves instead of tossing the whole device. Framework, known for modular laptops, is extending that philosophy to a new 12-inch model aimed at buyers who want long-term upgradeability without sacrificing portability.

Both products target a small but growing segment of consumers frustrated with glued-shut phones and laptops that become e-waste the moment a battery degrades or a screen cracks.

Neither company is likely to out-sell Apple or Samsung anytime soon, but their existence pressures the broader industry narrative around planned obsolescence.

Why it matters: Right-to-repair momentum is shifting from activist talking point to actual product category, and mainstream coverage of devices like these normalizes repairability as a selling point rather than a compromise. If Framework's smaller form factor sells well, it could pressure larger laptop makers to loosen their sealed designs.

Sources: The Verge

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