TL;DR
- Android 15 is already rolling out to Fairphone 4 ahead of the previously announced schedule.
- The phone completely skipped Android 14 after last year’s software delay.
- User reaction so far is largely positive, although the update unpaired some users’ Bluetooth devices.
Less than two weeks ago we learned that the Fairphone 4 would skip Android 14 with a direct jump to Android 15, and things are moving quickly. Rewarding owners for their patience after last year’s software delay, the company previously stated that the update would start arriving “from early November onwards.” Fairphone appears to be ahead of schedule this time, with Android 15 already rolled out to the device.
A Fairphone employee confirmed on the company’s website Community forum that the gradual rollout would begin on October 27 and that the update is now reaching some users. It includes the October security patch and weighs around 1.6 GB, depending on the existing version. The rollout is still in phases, so those who haven’t received it yet should expect notification in the coming days and weeks.
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So far, community feedback in response to the announcement is mostly positive. Several grateful Fairphone 4 owners said the update had installed cleanly, while some noticed a minor issue where their list of paired Bluetooth devices temporarily disappeared. A Fairphone moderator acknowledged the report and said the team has already flagged it internally.
In addition to some key features that the company highlights, such as private space, built-in passcode support, and theft detection, the Android 15 update also introduces what Fairphone calls “quality of life improvements” for Fairphone 4 owners. These include partial screen recording, app archiving, an interactive Bluetooth control panel, and the option to remove the search bar from the home screen. You can also disable your device name when connecting to Wi-Fi, set a default wallet app, and adjust contrast to improve visibility.
Fairphone previously delayed the launch of Android 14 due to technical challenges that required assistance from Qualcomm and ultimately decided to jump straight to Android 15. This new version brings the 2021 Fairphone 4 back into line with its newer siblings, the Fairphone 5 and Gen 6, which already run the latest version of Android.
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