Away from the premium smartphone feature-utility hyperbole swirling around dynamic islands, mobile devices remain much of a muchness. But ethical mobile brand Fairphone has always done innovation differently -- applying attention to supply chain conditions and novel modularity to support repairability and lifespan longevity, with a dual mission to make consumer electronics more ethical and sustainable.

It's now added another string to its sustainability bow by selling a (limited) stock of its 2019 flagship, the Fairphone 3, as refurbished handsets -- which come with a two-year warranty.

It said the refurbished Fairphone 3 devices are on sale from today -- offered as a more environmentally conscientious alternative to purchasing last year's Fairphone 4 flagship (aka, its first 5G handset).

This means you can pick up a three-year-old Fairphone 3 with the promise that it'll work for (at least) another couple of years. That represents a decent run for an Android-based smartphone -- akin to iPhone-levels of device longevity. (NB: Fairphone has previously achieved seven years of software support for the Fairphone 2 by getting Android 10 running on the 2015-released device.)

The "New Life Edition" of the Fairphone 3 is being sold for €359.

The Fairphone 3 is already modular, so owners of the device have always been able to avoid the need for a full upgrade by paying to replace only parts that break or otherwise need a boost.

Fairphone said it will also be offering refurbished Fairphone 3+ handsets in the coming weeks. The latter was already backwards compatible with the Fairphone 3 and available as a €70 upgrade by swapping out a few modules (vs buying a whole new Fairphone handset).

The Dutch social enterprise is now taking that reuse agenda a little further by bringing fully refurbished handsets to market -- offering an entry point to its reusable, modular mobiles that comes with an even lower carbon footprint since the handset you're buying has already been pre-owned.