Raymond van Eck

CEO, Fairphone

Search every verified Raymond van Eck interview, podcast appearance, and on-the-record quote — each transcript cross-checked by AI and human review to confirm speaker identity. Raymond van Eck, CEO of Fairphone, appeared on The Vergecast in August 2026 to discuss the company's entry into the U.S. market with the Fairphone 6+, its first smartphone sold directly in the United States. During the interview, he described Fairphone as a Dutch tech company focused on producing modular smartphones with a five-year hardware warranty and seven to eight years of software support, emphasizing user repairability and ethically sourced materials. He also demonstrated a hardware toggle feature called "Fairphone Moments," which allows users to switch to a focus mode that limits notifications and calls to selected contacts. Van Eck discussed the company's broader mission to encourage more ethical practices in consumer electronics production. He cited the Fair Cobalt Alliance, which Fairphone founded in the Republic of Congo, and noted that the initiative has partnered with companies including Tesla, Google, and Glencore. He mentioned that the alliance pays an additional dollar per unit for cobalt, without elaborating further on the program's details. He also indicated that Fairphone is exploring AI features that respect user privacy and support device longevity, though he did not disclose specific plans.