Many people feel exasperated and helpless when their smartphone breaks. Phone makers go to extraordinary lengths to stop consumers from opening the back of their phones to repair them. A new company has produced a self-repairable mobile phone. It's called Fairphone. It set out to make "the world's first ethical smartphone". It started in 2013 with four basic principles. These were to use raw materials from non-conflict mining areas; and to make a product that was recyclable, durable and repairable. Fairphone incorporated these in its new smartphone.

The Fairphone website outlines the company's philosophy. Its mission is to get "a massive industry to take responsibility for its impact on the world, by establishing a viable market for ethical electronics". It says many tech company workers work in poor conditions. The electronics industry creates a "staggering amount of waste". Fairphone says communication technology will account for 14 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions by 2040. The Fairphone comes with a screwdriver and is easily repairable. The plastic used is 40-per-cent recycled, and the minerals are ethically sourced.