The Vergecast · Monday, August 31, 2026
Raymond van Eck addressed the perception of Fairphone's cost, stating that sustainability is not the primary driver of price, but rather economies of scale. He argued that when considering the 'total cost of ownership,' including the cost of replacing parts like a screen, Fairphone becomes more attractive compared to high-end models from other brands.
“So they see that, uh, spending a lot of money to have this incremental change on the phone. Uh, to a lot of people actually, that is, uh, you know, becoming more and more clear that, uh, when you buy a Fairphone, which I think is also a bit of a misconception, uh, to see that the phone is expensive, uh, because in the end, uh, especially if you look to sustainability, uh, that's not a key driver on the price of a phone. Mostly it's skill.”
“But having said that, most people that that buy it also understand the fact that you buy it and then be able to hold on to that phone for longer. Uh, especially if you look to this total cost of ownership concept, uh, then, uh, you know, try to replace a screen, uh, on one of these iPhone Pro Max models that you were just pointing out. Uh, you can almost buy a Fairphone for the cost of that.”