The device will only be available in Europe at launch

Jun 17, 2015 08:04 GMT  ·  By

There aren't too many modular smartphones available on the market yet, but Google is working to change that thanks to its Project Ara.

Although the search giant has yet to release a modular smartphone, it showed a working prototype during Google I/O conference. This means that the first models shouldn't be too far away.

Until then though, it looks like another company is going to launch something that looks and feels like a modular smartphone, though the level of complexity falls short when compared with Project Ara devices.

The new device is called Fairphone 2 and will be launched in Europe this fall for around €525 ($590) unlocked and SIM free. It's unclear whether or not it will make it to the United States, but let's first see what it has to offer.

First of all, the Fairphone 2 is more like a repairable smartphone rather than a modular one. That's because the hardware components you might want to upgrade aren't that easily replaceable.

This means that whenever you want to upgrade your phone's camera, processor, memory, or any other replaceable component, you will have to go to a repair shop.

A fully repairable phone that you won't need to dispose

The company behind Fairphone 2 claims that the main goal when designing the phone was to prolong the longevity of the device.

So, instead of disposing it because of obsolete specs, you could replace the components you wish and keep the rest.

It's also worth mentioning that Fariphone 2 comes with a replaceable shell, which doubles as a protective case. Developers promised that they would launch more cases in the future, so customers can switch between them whenever they feel like it.

When it comes to specs, Fairphone 2 is equipped with a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor, 2GB of RAM and 32GB of internal memory.

It offers dual-SIM support and features a 2,420 mAh battery. On the back, the handset packs an 8-megapixel camera with autofocus, LED flash and full HD (1080p) video recording.

Last but not least, Fairphone 2 ships with Android 5.1 Lollipop onboard, it sports a 5-inch capacitive touchscreen display that supports HD (720p) resolution, and offers 4G LTE support.