Gear News of the Week: Fairphone Lands in the US, and WhatsApp Is Finally on the Apple Watch

The only smartphone manufacturer with a 10/10 iFixit repairability score is finally bringing its products to the US, but it isn't starting with its phones. Netherlands-based Fairphone announced this week that it will mark its expansion into the US with the Fairbuds XL, its repairable over-ear headphones. It'll be available on Amazon later this month.

Fairphone says it achieved 61 percent revenue growth in the third quarter of 2025 compared to the same period in 2024, though this is likely attributed to the launch of The Fairphone (Gen 6)—the company doesn't release a new phone every year. It sold more than 100,000 units in 2024, including phones and audio products.

Right-to-repair laws have been cropping up all over the US, and Fairphone smartphones are the easiest to repair. The company provides a screwdriver, sells spare parts for years, and offers long-term software support. Its devices may not be the flashiest or the most powerful, but they are a more sustainable solution, also ensuring fair mining practices and wages for workers in its supply chain.

Bringing its smartphone over to the US is a little more complicated than headphones, as it requires carrier certifications, but Fairphone tells WIRED it's in “advanced discussions” with select retailers and carriers.

WhatsApp Arrives on the Apple Watch

Meta seems to be on a quest to finally bring its apps to other platforms. A few months ago, it launched an Instagram app for the iPad; now we're getting WhatsApp on the Apple Watch. Rather than just mirroring your notifications and sending basic replies, now you can read full messages on the Apple Watch, record and send voice messages, see who's calling, send emoji reactions to messages, and see more of the chat history on the screen.

It syncs with your iPhone, so you don't need to set it up as a companion device. You can't take calls on the watch itself or even answer them; you can see who is calling and decline. It also doesn't seem as though you can add the WhatsApp app as a complication.

Motorola’s Cheapest Phone Now Has 5G

It's a little earlier than usual, but Motorola's latest budget phones are here: the Moto G 2026 and Moto G Play 2026. They share a similar look and aren't too different from the design language Motorola has employed on its 2025 Moto G devices. What's most notable is that the Moto G Play will have 5G support, making it one of the cheapest handsets with 5G at $170.

Both phones have 6.7-inch 120-Hz LCD screens, big 5,200-mAh batteries, and IP52 water resistance. They're powered by MediaTek's Dimensity 6300 processor with 4 GB of RAM, but they differ in storage size, with the Moto G offering 128 GB of internal storage and the Play with 64 GB (both are expandable with a microSD). Cameras are the other place where the two phones diverge, with a 50-MP main sensor on the Moto G and a 32-MP sensor on the Play. Yes, they still have headphone jacks.

Motorola says the Moto G Play will arrive first on November 13 at Motorola, Best Buy, and Amazon for $170, and the $200 Moto G launches on December 11 at Motorola's website first, then at Best Buy and Amazon on January 15.

Canon’s R6 III Goes More Pro

Canon has announced its much-anticipated new EOS R6 Mark III full-frame mirrorless camera. The R6 III features a new 32.5-megapixel sensor (the same sensor in the EOS C50 cinema camera), as well as the company's latest Digic X processor.