Fairphone's New Earbuds: Batteries You Can Actually Replace!

Fairphone has introduced the Fairbuds 2, a new iteration of modular wireless earbuds designed with sustainability at its core. A standout feature is the inclusion of seven user-replaceable parts, a significant advancement in repairability. Most notably, both the individual earbuds and their charging case batteries can be easily swapped out by the user.

This user-replaceable battery design tackles a common issue where wireless earbuds become obsolete once their non-removable batteries degrade. Fairphone emphasizes that its earbuds avoid the use of glue, making repair more feasible. The manufacturing process incorporates recycled plastics and rare metals sourced with fair labor practices.

Beyond modularity, the Fairbuds 2 are built with environmentally conscious materials, utilizing plastics and silicone free from PFAS chemicals. On the audio front, they feature an 11mm bio-cellulose dynamic driver for improved sound quality and support the LDAC codec for high-resolution streaming.

The earbuds themselves have been redesigned to be 37% smaller than their predecessors and include stems with capacitive touch controls. They offer hybrid active noise cancellation (ANC) up to 45dB and transparency mode. Battery life is rated at six hours with ANC on and eight hours with ANC off.

The Fairbuds 2 are priced at $119 in the U.S. and are available in green and black starting November 2nd. Fairphone's focus remains on providing a more sustainable and repairable audio experience.