--- description: Find out why Fairphone 3+ is one of the best inventions of 2020. title: Fairphone 3+: The 100 Best Inventions of 2020 image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blta1fab246c24126bf/698a143422fb85092ee2ba10/best-inventions-of-2020-Fairphone-6.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 --- Nov 19, 2020 # The Sustainable Smartphone Fairphone 3+ by [TIME Staff](/author/time-staff/) ## TIME Staff Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close  Courtesy Some 50 million tons of electronic waste is created each year, much of it composed of elements that were unethically sourced in the first place. (One example: gold, found in circuit boards, is often mined under dangerous conditions.) In contrast, Dutch company [Fairphone](https://www.fairphone.com/en/ "undefined") makes phones using minerals from conflict-free zones, sourced via more responsible supply chains. The phones are also built to stay out of landfills as long as possible. Made of 40% recycled plastic, the new Fairphone 3+ (€469, or roughly $554) has replaceable parts and an expected life span of five years. Its repair-friendly design lets you swap your battery or screen, or even upgrade your camera’s quality with just a screwdriver, encouraging users to hang on to their devices longer. _—Patrick Lucas Austin_ **Buy now:** [Fairphone 3+](https://shop.fairphone.com/en/fairphone-3-plus "undefined") ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"Article","@id":"https://time.com/collections/best-inventions-2020/5911412/fairphone-3/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/collections/best-inventions-2020/5911412/fairphone-3/"},"headline":"The Sustainable Smartphone","datePublished":"2020-11-19T13:51:41.000Z","dateModified":"2026-03-02T23:45:58.760Z","description":"","url":"https://time.com/collections/best-inventions-2020/5911412/fairphone-3/","keywords":["list","franchise","best inventions","Best Inventions 2020"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blta1fab246c24126bf/698a143422fb85092ee2ba10/best-inventions-of-2020-Fairphone-6.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"TIME Staff","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/time-staff/"}],"creator":"TIME Staff","articleSection":"","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blta1fab246c24126bf/698a143422fb85092ee2ba10/best-inventions-of-2020-Fairphone-6.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/collections/best-inventions-2020/5911412/fairphone-3/","name":"The Sustainable Smartphone"}}]}] ```