Technologies

Want a Sustainable Android? The Modular Fairphone 6 Delivers

Time to ditch the upgrade cycle. This future-proofed device from the Dutch social enterprise is built fairly, and built to last.

Sustainable tech leader Fairphone unveiled its latest modular device on Thursday at an event in Amsterdam, presenting a clear challenge to mainstream phone-makers everywhere. The Fairphone 6 is a fully repairable Android phone built to last, with what the company says is its lowest carbon footprint yet.

Fairphone is a phone-maker like no other. Rather than being just another tech company making a generic Android phone, Fairphone is a value-driven Dutch social enterprise that sources materials ethically and pays fair-wage bonuses to workers across a supply chain where factory conditions include protection from harmful chemicals and a voice in workplace decisions. It also encourages Fairphone owners to replace parts rather than discard their devices and upgrade frequently.

While this is technically the Fairphone 6, the company wants it to be known as just the Fairphone — the thinking being that you shouldn’t need to upgrade your phone every few years to the next generation of devices. Fairphone promises seven Android updates and support for software and repairable parts through 2033 with this device.

Fairphone’s previous phone — the Fairphone 5 — scored 7/10 in our review. But it also earned a 10/10 teardown score from iFixit. iFixit is a leader in providing the tools and knowledge for people to repair their electronics and has been at the forefront of pushing right-to-repair legislation.

The Fairphone is entirely modular, with replaceable elements that make it both easy to fix and more fun. You can replace the battery, screen, camera, ports, and other components — and snap off the rear cover to attach accessories like a carry cord or card holder.

A lime green switch on the side of the phone allows you to toggle between the standard Android 15 interface, complete with all the Google Gemini AI features you might expect, and a pared-back monochrome «essentials» interface that offers access to core fuctions, including calling, messaging and web browsing.

Our biggest criticisms of the Fairphone 5 were the poor battery life and camera performance. According to Fairphone, its new device packs a bigger battery that can last 53 hours, along with an AI-enhanced 50-megapixel camera. We’re hoping that these live up to their promise, which will be crucial to truly future-proof this phone as the rest of the industry sticks to its annual upgrade cycle.

The chip inside is the Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 from Qualcomm, which also provides the chips for all of the best Android phones on the market. Its performance will also help determine the longevity of the phone.

The Fairphone 6 will be available for £499 ($680) from YourCoop and AO in the UK and through Murena in the US.

Technologies

The Cherry MX 3.0s Keyboard Looks Like a Great Gaming Keyboard, but It Needs Some Work

You can’t beat the typing experience on Cherry switches, but the MX 3.0S doesn’t offer much else.

As a writer and gamer, there’s nothing quite like the feel of a great mechanical keyboard. There’s just something so satisfying about the «thwok» of each keypress as I take to the battlefield or craft my next story. Surprisingly, though, it can be challenging to find a keyboard that’s fantastic at being both a gaming keyboard and a daily-use keyboard — at least at an affordable price.

You might recognize the name Cherry as the maker of the eponymous switches that have dominated the mechanical keyboard world for nearly 70 years. Not long ago, it started making its own keyboards and recently launched the Cherry MX 3.0S gaming mechanical keyboard. It’s a fairly affordable entry point into the world of wireless gaming mechanical keyboards, but I’m not sure if it serves as the best dedicated gaming keyboard.

What I like about the Cherry MX 3.0S mechanical keyboard

Cherry was one of the first, and has certainly been the best-known, maker of mechanical keyboard switches for decades. And for good reason — its switches are clicky, tactile and robust. Many keyboard enthusiasts still prefer them over the myriad of other brands that have popped up over the years.

As a keyboard tester, I’ve used many other switches, and for a while, I’ve been using the fantastic OnePlus-branded keyboard. Coming back to the Cherry switches on the MX 3.0S felt oh so sweet. It was like coming home. I forgot what I was missing until I used them again. The MX Red switches on my MX 3.0S sample are linear — so not quite as clicky as the Brown switches, which are also available — but still provide quite a bit of tactility. This is perfect for gaming, as you can get more granular feedback with each keypress.

Design

At first glance, the MX3.0S doesn’t stand out too much. Looking at it a bit closer shows off a somewhat unusual design. The bottom aluminum casing sort of wraps around the center of the keyboard from back to front, with the edges folded over to hold it up. You don’t really notice unless you hold the keyboard up to look at it, but it’s better than just flat sides.

The metal casing gives it a good heft, but the sides, and I assume the single gasket as well, are plastic. I’m assuming a single gasket because you can hear the springs ever so slightly as you type, as well as the hollowness of the board. It’s not too distracting, but you can hear it if you’re listening. The per-key RGB is nice, and there are several different available patterns. It gets bright enough that you can see all the icons on the keys, even the lower ones, so that’s helpful. Even with that level of brightness, battery life on the MX 3.0S is quite impressive. Starting from a full charge, I’ve been using it exclusively for several weeks now with the LEDs fully on and I still have 30% left in the tank.

There are both wired and wireless versions of the MX 3.0S. The wireless version gives all the connectivity you’d expect. You can pair up to three devices via Bluetooth. A 2.4GHz wireless dongle is included as well. The dongle doesn’t hide away in the board like some others, which I find helpful for not losing them, but at least Cherry made it red, so it’s easy to spot.

Read more: Use Windows 11 Like a Pro With These 73 Keyboard Shortcuts

What could be better about the Cherry MX 3.0S mechanical keyboard

I think the biggest disappointment of the MX 3.0S is that aside from the switches — which you can easily get and install on a whole range of keyboards — there isn’t really much to differentiate it from other gaming keyboards. It doesn’t have anything that adds to your gaming experience. You can program macros for the keys, but you can do that on nearly every gaming keyboard and unlike many of those, there aren’t any extra programmable keys.

The MX 3.0S does support full n-key rollover so you don’t lose an input by pressing two keys at the same time, and it supports anti-ghosting, but again, those are par for the course with most modern gaming keyboards.

Read more: This Retro Gaming Keyboard Hits All the Right Nostalgia Vibes… and It’s a Great Keyboard

Lag

I ran into a few bugs when using the MX 3.0S wirelessly. For starters, the dongle would lag quite a bit when connected via a docking station. Yes, it could have been my docking station, but no other keyboard I’ve used has had that issue, so I’m willing to bet it’s the keyboard.

Also, when using Bluetooth, there were a few times it would randomly reconnect itself, or even disconnect from my computer entirely. There were also a few ghost presses and some sticky keys when using Bluetooth. Again, not entirely saying it was the keyboard’s fault, but these are not issues I’ve come across on nearly every other keyboard I’ve used.

Software leaves a lot to be desired

When I first started writing this review, Cherry’s Utility software was pretty rough. The UI was outdated and the functionality was quite limited. You can adjust the lighting and add macros, but that’s about it. It’s pretty basic. You can create up to nine profiles which is nice, but again, the customization is limited. Plus, it only detects the keyboard when physically connected, not over Bluetooth or the dongle. That means every time you want to change a setting, you have to either manually do it through several key presses, or dig out a cable. Neither of which is ideal.

To Cherry’s credit, literally the day I finished this review, the software got a huge facelift. It looks much better than it did, but it didn’t add any functionality, which is a bummer. The keyboard does support a dedicated key for launching the software, but since it doesn’t work unless it’s plugged in, and the software doesn’t do a whole lot, it feels like a waste of a key.

Price

Cherry priced this a tad too high for what you get. The full retail price is $160. However, at the time of writing, you can grab it for $100 on Amazon for the white model with Red switches. To me, that’s a much better price and probably close to what Cherry should be charging for it. I don’t know if I can recommend it at $160, especially considering the competition.

Should you buy the Cherry MX 3.0S mechanical keyboard?

As with most things, it depends. If you need a reliable mechanical keyboard that gives you the goodness of those Cherry switches, then yes, but only if you can find it on sale. The solid build and excellent typing experience are worth $100. For me, it works great as both a gaming keyboard and a daily-use keyboard. If you want a more dedicated gaming keyboard that gives you more gaming-specific features and customization, however, you’ll need to look somewhere else.

Technologies

This Entry-Level Gaming Mouse Is a Great Way to Up Your PC Gaming on a Budget

The Cherry MC 2.1 is a solid, inexpensive gaming mouse that gets most of the basics right.

A good gaming mouse can make all the difference in an intense match. It can mean the difference between that game-winning headshot and not being invited back for the next game. For more casual gamers who don’t need lots of customization options, you can still get a solid gaming mouse for not a lot of money. The Cherry MC 2.1 is just such a mouse.

What’s great about the Cherry MC 2.1

The most important thing a mouse to get right is the feel in your hand. If it’s uncomfortable, you’re not going to want to use it no matter how many killer features it has. Thankfully, Cherry got the feel of the MC 2.1 right. It’s not going to blow you away with revolutionary ergonomics, but for an inexpensive gaming mouse it feels solid and comfortable for long periods. The sides have some extra grip to help keep your hand steady and it’s lightweight at only 107 grams.

I used it for hours both while gaming and for daily use, and I never once got a cramp or experienced any soreness while using it. Cherry says it’s an ergonomic design geared for right-handers. It’s fairly symmetrical, so a leftie might be able to use it just fine, though there are dedicated leftie mice that would probably work better.

The other important feel to get right is the clicks. I couldn’t find any technical information about what buttons are used (or their stated lifespan), but suffice it to say they’re tactile and responsive. Oddly, the two side buttons felt a bit softer than the main two. I’m not sure why, but it’s not a dealbreaker. Aside from the main buttons, scroll wheel, and two side buttons, the only other one is right behind the scroll wheel on top. This button with the Cherry logo toggles between four DPI settings, all of which are fully customizable. Four pill-shaped, red LEDs let you know which setting you’re on. If you hold the button, it will launch the Cherry Utility software.

Design

For an inexpensive gaming mouse without many frills, I think the design is OK. It’s pretty unassuming and only comes in black, but again, it’s not meant to be a showstopper. On the bottom you’ve got one long skate up top and two smaller ones below, which is fine, but I tend to prefer larger skates.

There’s also customizable LED lighting, which is surprising at this price. It’s only around the scroll wheel, but I’m a fan of how it looks. It’s subtle but doesn’t feel like an afterthought.

Specs and price

Truth be told, I think Cherry nailed it here. For around $40 the MC 2.1 has a 5,000 DPI sensor with up to a 1,000 report rate, LED lighting, and the ability to save custom profiles for all your games (and for work, if you must).

What I don’t like about the Cherry MC 2.1

The MC 2.1 is fully compatible with Cherry’s Utility Software, but the app leaves a lot to be desired. The UI only recently got updated to something that looks like it was made in the 21st century, but it’s still simplistic. The customization options are also a bit lacking, even considering it’s a budget mouse. Plus, it wouldn’t always load properly when I needed to change something.

What was also a tad concerning was that when you hold the Cherry button, you actually see a Run command window open with the command being typed out before the software opens. Just a bit odd. There even seems to be two versions of this software. The one I downloaded directly from Cherry’s site is not the same one that opens when you hold the Cherry button. I never got any detailed information about this, so I’m not sure what or why this is the case. The one that launches when you press and hold the button is the much better version, so I’d recommend using that one.

I don’t know why, but having the ability to unlock the scroll wheel or customize the scroll speed outside of the Windows settings seems to be a rarity among non-flagship mice, and that’s a bummer. Granted, most games don’t require extensive use of the scroll wheel, but for daily work usage, it’s really annoying to be stuck with a slow scrolling speed. Maybe I’m in the minority here, but either way, give me the option. There’s also no horizontal scrolling, but that’s not expected at this price.

Should you buy the Cherry MC 2.1?

Honestly, the MC 2.1 is a great mouse for $40. You get a solid, reliable, responsive mouse, with some RGB lighting thrown in, at a reasonable price. There’s no wireless option, though, so if you need that you’ll need to look elsewhere and likely pay more. Plus, the software situation is limited, not to mention odd, but if you don’t care too much about customizing your mouse then there’s nothing to worry about.

Even with the slower scroll speed I still found the MC 2.1 to be a great mouse for daily usage. If you’re looking for a solid, inexpensive mouse that’s great for both work and play, the MC 2.1 is an easy choice.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Wednesday, June 25

Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for Wednesday, June 25.

Looking for the most recent Mini Crossword answer? Click here for today’s Mini Crossword hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Wordle, Strands, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.

Today’s Mini Crossword took me a little bit longer than usual. 1-Across took me a little time to ponder, and so did 1-Down. Read on. And if you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword tips.

The Mini Crossword is just one of many games in the Times’ games collection. If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: Tips and Tricks for Solving The New York Times Mini Crossword

Let’s get to those Mini Crossword clues and answers.