Googling Android News Today

Murena is in the business of deGoogling Android smartphones in the name of privacy. The French/European firm has been doing this for around five years, as We recently got our hands on a Fairphone 4 running Murena's tracker-blocking /e/OS. Our curiosity was piqued to see an alternative OS running on alt hardware. Step in for a closer look...

Although it can’t compare to the performance of flagship devices from Apple or Samsung, our biggest complaint with the user-repairable Fairphone 4

Nearly two years after its European debut, the Fairphone 4 has finally landed in the US with a Google-free Android software called /e/OS.

The Fairphone 4 is finally coming to the US, but as an Android phone with most of Google stripped away.

Although it can’t compare to the performance of flagship devices from Apple or Samsung, our biggest complaint with the user-repairable Fairphone 4 was that it’s not available in the United States. That’s about to change, but those who’ve been patiently waiting two years for the Fairphone 4 to come to the US might be disappointed with what they’re getting.

Since my last attempt at Google-less Android, /e/OS hit v1 and I discovered GrapheneOS. So I put the latter on a Pixel 5 and the former on a Pixel 4a and gave them a shot.

Murena’s new phone runs /e/OS and can run most Android apps, but the company tries hard to minimize the amount of data it collects and sends to other companies.

LineageOS brings Android 10 to the Nextbit Robin, Moto G5, and more LineageOS is the most popular custom ROM around, as it has extended the life of many phones and tablets that would have otherwise been abandoned. Even for phones still receiving software updates from the original manufacturer, Lineage can sometimes work better than the stock software, and its a popular option for de-Googling Android devices. Since our last roundup, several more phones have been added to the official Android 10 ...