Shiftphone

Last updated
SHIFT6mq SHIFT 6mq front.jpg
SHIFT6mq

Shiftphone is a modular, easy-to-repair smartphone brand created by the company SHIFT in Germany. The company emphasizes fair trade and ecology, similar to Fairphone. [1] [2] [3] [4] Instead of tantalum capacitors made from coltan, ceramic capacitors are used for their manufacturing. So far, eleven model series have been released. The most recent release was the SHIFT6mq (successor of the Shift6m) in June 2020. The upcoming device will be the SHIFTphone 8, scheduled for release in 2024. [5]

Contents

Names

The official company name is SHIFT GmbH. [6]

Model names

The names of models start with the string "SHIFT" in upper case letters.

Except for the SHIFTphone 8 this is followed by the length of the display diagonal rounded to full inches. After that

OS name

The OS is named either SHIFT-OS or ShiftOS. [7]

Devices

Year of releaseNameNotes
2014Shift7
2015Shift4
2015Shift5
2015Shift5.1 [8] [9] [10]
2016Shift5.2 [11]
2016Shift7+
2017Shift4.2
2017Shift5.3
2018 Shift6m "m" for modular - the first modular shiftphone and was awarded the highest national award for ecological design in Germany, the Bundespreis Ecodesign, in the category "product". [12]
2019Shift5me"e" for Economy
2020Shift6mq"q" for Qualcomm, the first to use a Qualcomm SoC
2024 end of March expectedShiftphone 8"8" for model eight (not counting the dot-versions). It is planned to be the first shiftphone model of which the name has no reference to the length of the display diagonale, that is IP67 certified and has no 3.5 mm headphone jack. It is planned to use the Qualcomm QCM6490 SoC, the same as the Fairphone 5.

Operating system

There are two different operating systems. The SafetyNet based SHIFT-OS-G/ShiftOS-G with Google services or the AOSP-based SHIFT-OS-L or ShiftOS-L without Google services. Furthermore, flashing the device with a custom ROM is allowed; [13] ShiftOS developers are also partly involved in the development of certain custom ROMs. [14]

Characteristics

Sustainability

Shiftphones are built modularly to allow customers to change parts and repair the device without voiding the warranty. Videos support the user in repairing their device, explaining how to open it and how to change certain modules. [15]

Circular economy

Customers have the option, to upgrade their device to a different model. [16]

Shiftphone partners with Closing the Loop. [17]

Privacy aspects

The operating system can be replaced with a custom ROM based on GNU/Linux (Mobian [18] ) or a de-googled Android.

Different from the competitors PinePhone and Librem, the motherboard and peripherals are not open-source hardware. This makes hardware backdoors still possible.

The SHIFTphone 8 does include hardware kill switches, for example for the microphone and camera. [19]

Workers' care

Shift employees in China do not work more than 50 hours a week, while it is common for people to work up to 90. Compared to the average Chinese worker in the manufacturing business, the staff is provided with insurances. [20]

Criticism and controversies about conflict minerals

In 2016 c't described the Shift5 as a typical cheap smartphone. Besides, the journal argued that there was no evidence that coltan is not used in Shiftphones and thus criticized the transparency of SHIFT. SHIFT and further secondary sources claim that coltan is not in use for their manufacturing. [21] However, according to c't, the SHIFT partner company "Vstar and Weihuaxin" did not provide information about conflict-free material used in Shiftphone. Unlike Shiftphone, Fairphone provides detailed audit reports about component suppliers through a Chinese agency, and also facilitates detailed information on problems and compromises in the supply chain. [22]

Coltan is used to make components for mobile phones and other electronic devices. A huge part of the ore is from mines in the DRC (Democratic Republic of Congo). "Much mining has been done in small artisanal mining operations, sometimes known as Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining (ASM). These small-scale mines are unregulated, with high levels of child labor and workplace injury." Some 50,000 children, some just seven years old, work in Congo's coltan mines. Workers often have little or no protection and often work underground in self-made shafts. [23]

Recent reports paint a clear picture: articles by many magazines were able to capture the statements of Carsten Waldeck and prove their credibility accordingly.

For example, golem.de reported in detail on the company and its efforts in terms of sustainability and fairness in June 2018. [24]

The ProSieben magazine Galileo tested the newly released smartphone Shift6m and illuminated, in the form of video recordings, the production conditions of the in-house manufactory located in China in June 2018. [25]

N-tv described the initial efforts for fairness and sustainability as well as the history of the Shiftphone, in September 2018. [26]

In August 2018, the ecology portal Utopia.de  [ de ] no longer reported any lack of transparency regarding Shift's Chinese hardware manufacturing process. [27]

In the issue 15/2018, the computer magazine c't showed a more positive approach on the topic of German smartphone manufacturer Shift, although the report itself was rather short in comparison to other European hardware providers. [28]

See also

Related Research Articles

Android is a mobile operating system based on a modified version of the Linux kernel and other open-source software, designed primarily for touchscreen mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets. Android has historically been developed by a consortium of developers known as the Open Handset Alliance, but its most widely used version is primarily developed by Google. It was unveiled in November 2007, with the first commercial Android device, the HTC Dream, being launched in September 2008.

Gigaset AG, formerly known as Siemens Home and Office Communication Devices, is a German multinational corporation based in Bocholt, Germany. More active in the area of communications technology, it manufactures DECT telephones.

Fairphone is a Dutch electronics manufacturer that designs and produces smartphones and headphones. It aims to minimise the ethical and environmental impact of its devices by using recycled, fairtrade and conflict-free materials, maintaining fair labor conditions throughout its workforce and suppliers, and enabling users to easily repair their devices through modular design and by providing replacement parts.

Smartisan OS is an Android-based smartphone platform developed by ByteDance Chinese company Smartisan. It is a custom ROM for smartphones and potentially tablet devices.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Modular smartphone</span> Smartphone made of replaceable parts

A modular smartphone is a smartphone designed for users to upgrade or replace components and modules without the need for resoldering or repair services. The most important component is the main board, to which others such as cameras and batteries are attached. Components can be obtained from open-source hardware stores.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fairphone 1</span>

The Fairphone 1 is a touchscreen-based, slate-sized smartphone designed and manufactured by Fairphone. It was released running Android 4.2.2 "Jelly Bean", with the Fairphone OS skin. It was the first phone from the social enterprise Fairphone, announced on 14 May 2013 and shipped beginning in December 2013.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fairphone 2</span> Smartphone

The Fairphone 2 is a touchscreen-based, dual-SIM smartphone designed to be easily repaired by the user. First released in October 2015, it was the first modular smartphone available for purchase and has since received both hardware improvements and major software updates, initially shipping with Android 5 "Lollipop" and running Android 10 as of November 2022. Production ceased in 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Moto G4</span> Android smartphone developed by Motorola Mobility

The Moto G4 is a line of Android smartphones manufactured by Motorola Mobility, a subsidiary of Lenovo. It is the successor to the third-generation Moto G, and was first released in Brazil and India on May 17, 2016, with other markets following.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LG V20</span> Android smartphone by LG Electronics

LG V20 is an Android phone manufactured by LG Electronics, in its LG V series, succeeding the LG V10 released in 2015. Unveiled on September 6, 2016, it was the first phone with the Android Nougat operating system. Like the V10, the V20 has a secondary display panel near the top of the device that can display additional messages and controls, and a quad DAC for audio. The V20 has a user-replaceable battery, unlike its successor, the LG V30, unveiled on 31 August 2017.

Resurrection Remix OS, abbreviated as RR, is a free and open-source operating system for smartphones and tablet computers, based on the Android mobile platform. UX designer and head developer Altan KRK & Varun Date started the project in 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Xiaomi Mi A1</span> Smartphone developed by Xiaomi and Google

The Xiaomi Mi A1, is a smartphone, co-developed by Google, as part of its Android One initiative — and Xiaomi that runs on the Android operating system.

postmarketOS Free and open-source operating system for smartphones, based on Alpine Linux

postmarketOS is an operating system primarily for smartphones, based on the Alpine Linux distribution.

/e/ is a fork of LineageOS, an Android-based mobile operating system, and associated online services. /e/ is presented as privacy software that does not contain proprietary Google apps or services, and challenges the public to "find any parts of the system or default applications that are still leaking data to Google."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">PinePhone</span> Smartphone with Linux-based mobile operating system

The PinePhone is a smartphone developed by Hong Kong-based computer manufacturer Pine64, designed to provide users with full control over the device. This is achieved through the utilization of mainline Linux-based mobile operating systems, assembly of the phone using screws, and facilitating simplified disassembly for repairs and upgrades. LTE, GPS, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and both cameras can be physically switched off. The PinePhone ships with the Manjaro Linux operating system using the Plasma Mobile graphic interface, although other distributions can be installed by users.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shift6m</span> 2018 Android smartphone model

The Shift6m is a modular smartphone produced by the Shift GmbH from Falkenberg, Hessen, Germany. It was released in May 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">SHIFT (company)</span> German information technology company

SHIFT is a German smartphone and phablet manufacturer with its headquarters with design and development department in Wabern in Northern Hesse Germany and Production in China. The company focuses on fairness in manufacturing and sustainability through a modular design.

CalyxOS is an operating system for smartphones based on Android with mostly free and open-source software. It is produced by the Calyx Institute as part of its mission to "defend online privacy, security and accessibility."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bootloader unlocking</span> Process of disabling secure device booting

Bootloader unlocking is the process of disabling the bootloader security that makes secure boot possible. It can make advanced customizations possible, such as installing a custom firmware. On smartphones this can be a custom Android distribution or another mobile operating system. Some bootloaders are not locked at all, others can be unlocked using a standard command, others need assistance from the manufacturer. Some do not include an unlocking method and can only be unlocked through a software exploit.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mobian</span> Linux distribution

Mobian is a project to port the Debian GNU/Linux distribution running the mainline Linux kernel to smartphones and tablets. The project was announced in 2020. It is available for the PinePhone, PineTab, Librem 5, OnePlus 6/6T and Pocophone F1.

References

  1. ↑ Galan, Ana (24 October 2017). "Shiftphone: an Ethical Smartphone That's Made in Germany – Responsibility". RESET.to. Retrieved 7 September 2018.
  2. ↑ Schröder, Horst (4 April 2016). "So gut ist das erste Fairphone aus Deutschland". www.gruenderszene.de. Retrieved 5 September 2018.
  3. ↑ Knödl, Karsten (August 2017). "Mehr als fair". Heimatnachrichten Fritzlar/Homberg. p. 5.
  4. ↑ Peters, Rolf-Herbert (November 2015). "Handy mit Moral". Stern: 134.
  5. ↑ Maurus, Tess (2021-06-02). "SHIFTphone 8 Status". SHIFTPHONES - (in German). Retrieved 2023-01-05.
  6. ↑ "Handelsregisterauszug von SHIFT GmbH aus Wabern (HRB 12090)". www.online-handelsregister.de. Retrieved 2021-06-09.
  7. ↑ "Home". shiftphones.com.
  8. ↑ Hasenheit, Marius (28 September 2015). "ShiftPhone: Das erste faire Telefon aus Deutschland". www.wiwo.de. Retrieved 7 September 2018.
  9. ↑ "Shiftphone 5.1 – Das kann das faire Smartphone - Bilder & Fotos - WELT".
  10. ↑ "Shiftphone 5.1: Praxis-Test des fairen Smartphones". 23 March 2016.
  11. ↑ Johannsen, Thomas (June 2017). "Oberklasse Shiftphone Shift5.2". Tablet und Smartphone: 11.
  12. ↑ https://bundespreis-ecodesign.de/en/winner/projectoverview/shift-6m [ dead link ]
  13. ↑ "Home". shiftphones.com. "Modding". SHIFTPHONES (in German). 19 January 2023. Retrieved 2023-03-30.
  14. ↑ "SHIFT6mq - Anleitung / Guide - Feedback - (SHIFT6mq) LineageOS 20 (Android 13)". SHIFTPHONES (in German). 19 January 2023. Retrieved 2023-03-30.
  15. ↑ Wiebke, Wiebke (March 2018). "Wegweiser in Sachen Fairness". Guter Rat : 55.
  16. ↑ "Nachhaltigkeit von Geschäftsmodellen in der Informations- und Kommunikationstechnik" (PDF). Deutsche Umwelthilfe : 8, 18. January 2018.
  17. ↑ "SHIFTphone 8 Status | SHIFT -".
  18. ↑ "Mobian - Debian Wiki".
  19. ↑ "SHIFTphone 8 status".
  20. ↑ Holtkemper, Lennart (March 2017). "Fairphone und Shiftphone: Nachhaltig produzierte Smartphones". Connect.
  21. ↑ Neubauer, Dr. Uta (December 2017). "Faire Handys aus Hessen" (PDF). Technologieland Hessen. p. 47.
  22. ↑ Wölbert, Christian (September 2016). "Das angeblich faire Android-Smartphone Shift 5.1". C't. 2016 (9): 64, 65.
  23. ↑ Behnke, Andrea (September 2016). "Rohstoffabbau schadet Umwelt und Menschen". Verbraucherzentrale NRW. Retrieved 31 July 2018.
  24. ↑ Sustainability does not have to be too expensive or ugly (in German), retrieved 2019-12-05
  25. ↑ The first German Smartphone (German) , retrieved 2019-12-05
  26. ↑ Fair high technology from Hessen - A smartphone that is supposed to change the world (in German), retrieved 2019-12-05
  27. ↑ Test: Shift6m of Shiftphones - the German Fairphone alternative (in German), 11 August 2018, retrieved 2019-05-12
  28. ↑ Link, Michael (6 July 2018), "Market Overview - Smartphones from Europe", C't (in German), 2018 (15): 168, retrieved 2019-12-05
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.