Murena Fairphone 3+ updates / upgrades

I am considering purchasing a Murena Fairphone 3+ (or FP4 when it arrives). I have noticed in some posts that users of /e/ have on occasion been forced to reinstall the system to upgrade. Not being an /e/ user yet, it is unclear to me as to whether a reinstall is only necessary for phones that have been flashed by the user to /e/, or whether this issue also applies to users that have purchased a Murena phone.

I was hoping someone more knowledgeable than me would have replied in the meantime, but I’ll try to explain my recollection of the status quo.

Updating (as in within the same /e/OS Android version, currently 10) an FP3+ bought from the https://esolutions.shop/ will not differ from updating an FP3+ that was switched from Fairphone to /e/OS by the user himself or herself. It’s an OTA update (through Settings > System Update) and your data will be carried over.

Now upgrading an FP3+ from /e/OS Android 10 to /e/OS Android 11 is a bit of a challenge for the /e/ developers right now. They are still working on making this upgrade available through OTA so it will also preserve your data (i.e. no “clean install” from scratch necessary). I am quite optimistic this will succeed, but even if it does not, I think there will be no difference in procedure between a “bought” and a “self-switched” Murena FP3+.

I recommend you follow @Manoj’s weekly updates, especially the “OS OTA Upgrade Testing” section:

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But does that mean I can do a manual upgrade without flashing FP-GoogleOS or do I just consider /e/OS being the OS of the manufactor?

From what I have been told in this forum, there is no need to flash (back to) Fairphone OS before upgrading to /e/OS Android 11.

Now if manual upgrading preserves your data is another question. Might depend on whether or not you re-locked your bootloader after your current /e/OS installation, but I am not certain here.