I am using /e/OS (Murena) since 2020 (on a Fairphone 3). Starting from the beta-version 0.x I think it has developed nicely over time. I think the fact that I am still using it after four years is a statement for itself. Additionally, I list some thoughts of mine in a pro/con list:
pro:
. very good job for removing Google components (even though certainly some aspects are left).
- easy to get: easy installer and even phones with preinstalled /e/OS are available.
- More or less everything works out-of-the-box. Including banking apps and everything else what I have tried.
- Access to the apps from the Google store through a Aurora-like construction.
- For the day-to-day use I barely recognize any difference between /e/OS and a standard Android.
- stable in the meanwhile.
- regular updates, sometimes better support of older smartphones than standard Android.
- good forum and support for a large number of phones.
cons:
- /e/ is still heavily developed which sometimes features and settings change significantly between system updates. In the past there have also been a few minor bugs like phantom notifications (during version 0.x) or some issues with the mobile internet which sometimes had random interruptions (during one of the early 1.x versions, I do not remember which one). But these bugs were always fixed very fast and appeared much less frequent recently.
- Even though the compared to AOSP and also to LineageOS security updates arrive one to two months later, which is a debatable delay.
- Integration in the Murena environment might have similar disadvantages as the integration into the Google environment. In general I am less convinced of the Murena cloud services. On the other hand, using them is optional and can easily be turned off (the same is not possible for the google services on standard Android)
- When using a (partially) deGoogled phone, one always has to be clear that there are a few applications which cannot replaced by free software while retaining the same functionality. For me, the most important example is Google Maps. While for the general navigation MagicMaps (the preinstalled map in /e/) or OSM+ works great, something like the search/display of opening times/other details for local stores/restaurants or real-time traffic information cannot be provided by free services since these functionalities heavily rely on data.
In summary, I think /e/OS (Murena) is a good compromise between privacy and usability. For me /e/OS includes everything what I need for my day-to-day-life and does not require my constant attention. While some other custom ROMs like GrapheneOS are better in security and privacy aspects, these options require by far more work and knowledge for installation, maintenance and for running all desired functionalities (additionally GrapheneOS is restricted to Google Pixel phones, which contradicts the motivation not to support Google). I am subtracting one point of the rating for the delayed security patches, but otherwise it is for me a great OS for my phone. But I am aware that a different weighting between usability, privacy and security might lead to a different conclusion.
I use this distro more than half a year. They provide quite often updates. I'm glad from it. It does not drain your battery and runs smoothly + you have fresh android with security updates every month/two months.
I have bank app and broker one and they both work even I read about broker one does not like rooted systems.
I haven't used murena cloud yet.
Version 2.0 have nicer look and feel. I really like it looks like.
The mail client (k-9 clone maintained by Murena) on previous OS versions was not working very well, so I installed original k-9. It does work perfectly with my gmail account. I also use tuta/tutanota client and works fine.
The map app was difficult at the beginning, but as I learned it more it is quite good replacement for google maps.
I installed 1.17t evert on Motorola Moto G6 plus. I've upgraded from Android 9, which has the latest security updates on May 2020.
So far, I'm very glad of /e/ OS. It work very stable and I have new Android experience - still learning new features of Android 13.
The apps provided by Murena are quite good. I haven't tested the map yet much, but shows my home well and finds the route to my work.
I've got some difficulties during loading bootloader image, but after few attempts and phone restarts it finally got loaded. Then other steps started to look much more easy than the very beginning. They should also make some movies how to install stuff, because reading the instructions and doing it first time is a bit difficult.
As I understood it, everything started a couple of years ago with the FOSS operation system /e/OS, and the objective to bring privacy to Android smart phones. After the release of version 1.0 in may 2022, they started establishing the trademark "Murena" in order to offer and sell smart phones with pre-installed /e/OS.
In october 2021, I bought a refurbished Gigaset GS290 (which at that time was one of the mainstream /e/OS-supported phone modells), downloaded /e/OS v0.18 and installed it using the Android tools adb and fastboot. That proved to be way more difficult than expected, probably because I was new to Android, and I learned A LOT about Android and its administration-tools before it eventually started working. Since then I installed all updates, and a few apps (e.g. the privacy oriented proton-email-client), and can confirm that /e/OS runs well and reliable on the GigaSet GS290.
I'm using it every day and I'm very satisfied with it, hence, I can recommend e/OS/ and rate it here with a "10". Many thanks to the /e/OS-team who provided this innovative smart phone OS.
Today, I read the bitter comments from a user below (2023-11-11), and can only recommend him or her to become member of the /e/OS-community and to publish the description of the issues there to create awareness of such things. Sounds like a hacking attack. Would also be interesting to learn which apps precisely he or she installed, when/before the trouble began.
Version: 1.15 Rating: 2 Date: 2023-11-11 Votes: 2
I live in Sweden and ordered a murena one on the web.
I was attracted by the fact that it was preinstalled with the lineage os
in the "e" flavour. Customer support was there but could not offer
even flattering (that they could make money out of) minor services.
I was asking for a wallet case and even pointed them at someone that
could make one. But no,no, no service.
The non working app kept to be just that (non working) so they seem
not to be knowledgeable.
I used it for about half a year.
I installed whatsapp and a security app. Whatsapp worked
fine but the security app did only work partly.
There was always problems with notifications. They arrived too late
or not at all.
I have stopped using it september 2023 as it had strange virus-like behaviuour.
I put up with it for a time but when someone was running a full-fledged
remote desktop on the phone just after a major system update I had enough of it.
Calls were often cut off after a short time. I do not know why. Possibly because
of inferiour hardware or some kind of "big brother" virus-like problem or worse.
It also had "false notifications" and system settings that were changed often in
the middle of phone calls. I do not think anyone would like such a virus-laden
phone. If you like to make enemies out of your friends and confidantes,
then it is a phone that I would highly recommend, otherwise not.
I have a OnePlus 8 that I was able to install /e/ on using e.foundation automated process.
I am not tech savy but I was able to get /e/ up and running with a few attempts on the
OnePlus. I recently bought a Fairphone 4 with /e/ preinstalled. I don't like being tracked so I
was trying to get away from the big G. I like that Murena provides some of the service that
Google normally provides but I don't use Murena's account either. I basically use my phone
as a phone and some messaging so I get along fine without syncing anything to a cloud. I also
don't know much about Nextcloud and how private it is. The app lounge makes it easy to
install apps but some preinstalled apps don't delete as easy. I have also found some apps
that let you export your data to something other than a cloud. The app lounge uses Exodus
Privacy tools to rate the apps on the app lounge and they give Whatsapp an 8 out of 10 for
privacy so I put more trust in F-Droid but still do more checking apps before installing. My
Fairphone has an sd card and I have tried side loading apps to the Fairphone sd card but
they would not install. I don't know of it is my file manager or /e/ os. I have not had problems
sideloading apps to my OnePlus 8 but it does not have an sd card so I had to install them to
internal storage and that worked. I will try moving the apps to internal memory on the
Fairphone to see if that works. I have read that /e/ os still pings Google and I am trying to
find a way to stop that. I read that there was a way to stop Lineage os from pinging Google so
I will see if I can find out how and see if it will work on /e/. I like that /e/ is from the European
Union where they respect privacy and they have made it available in the US. I do wish that
there was a mobile os that was written from the ground up from a trustworthy source. /e/ has
a lot of settings sometimes making it hard to find the one you are looking for. I like one on the
OnePlus 8 that I can set it so double tapping the screen will open the desktop but I have not
been able to find that option on the Fairphone. I appreciate that the Fairphone has a
replaceable battery and other components that are made to last for more than a couple of
years and ecologically minded. I hope Murena is here to stay and is able to expand.
I commented before when on v1.11 AOSP 10 'Q' stable (* see below):
the new 'R' 1.15 was not good on my Samsung S9, so took the plunge and sideloaded to 'T' 1.15 using a Linux computer.
NOTE: as of 5th Oct, the recovery.img is in the ZIP file on the starlte /e/os webpage (and not the usual pair of files) - extract from and use that via heimdall in samsung recovery mode... (the adb sideload as before using the whole downloaded zip)
IMPORTANT: Boot loop at first attempt!!!(stuck at 'e' with bouncing '.' at reboot - you really need to factory reset whilst in recovery mode before side-loading 'T' 1.15 dev with adb. Of course this means a lot of restoring backed up data / re-set-up of phone etc.
'T' 1.15 dev is (eventually) GREAT!
But, if you are at all worried about any data loss in the manual process, stay on the stable channel and wait patiently for OTA updates (like I didn't)!
_________________
previously submitted:
_________________
pros:
1) Free 1GB storage for email, files etc which can be expanded with plans
2) de googled
3) largely android compatible (i.e. lots of apps)
4) no unwanted tracking eating all your mobile data and intruding on your privacy
5) regular security updates
cons:
1) in app purchases do not restore from play store (only purchased apps can be restored)
2) old version of android - 'Q' on this device *[NOW 'T' DEV 1.15]
Nova launcher premium restored, as did aCalendar pro and simple gallery pro as were paid-for-apps
All others that start free and then have in app purchases do not work
Private smartphone - an oxymoron, but, near as damn it!
Over all good OS.
Works well even on outdated devices like Mi5.
Considering android's support mess (or rather lack of support) recessive regular updates.
UI piggybacks on Trebuchet and can glitch a bit if the phone is under load (probably only noticeable with 3GB of ram). Governor doing its best but sometimes it's not enough to overcome android's bloat and background apps or services can crash. And this is without gapps installed. To be fair it's not claiming to be a streamlined version of android and as far as I can see the memory usage is on par with LineageOS.
The real star of the show for me is the App Lounge. Preinstalled app manager (auto updates work without rooting or sideloading apps via adb) combining anonymous google play access, automatically updated F-Droid apps and a library of useful web based applications.
I've been using it as my main phone OS for few years now with no major issues. Sometimes some odd application refuses to cooperate properly with the OS claiming it is a rooted system, but I did manage to convince few app suppliers to allow e/OS and now most of these apps work fine.
It does great job in replacing google services. I tried LineageOS before using e/OS and regularly experienced issues. Not here.
Otherwise it is a solid Android experience with a lot of customisation that can be added. Personally didnt like the original launcher it ships with, and find Fairphone2 launcher (available from F-Droid) to be much more user friendly.
Version: 1.9 Rating: 6 Date: 2023-04-11 Votes: 1
Fine, but support for legacy devices is lacking. This is a pretty solid Android custom ROM with all the bells and whistles you come to expect, except without any Google services. One complaint I have is that once the device you install the OS on becomes unsupported, it becomes practically unusable. It's also quite hard to use this as an actual day-to-day phone, seeing as most apps rely on the bare minimum Google services being installed, and getting those to work on this phone is a pain. It also doesn't do anything special to stand out from other Android custom ROMs, and that's kind of disappointing.
two years ago I bought a fairphone 3+ with the stock android 9 installed. Then I knew /e/os and installed it with help of my linux pc. I have never turned back to stock android. They make regular updates, and offer automatical stepups. With the last update some days ago I arrived to 1.9 which is given as Android12. Great work. In two years from Android 9 to 12.
I don't have any app not working on it. I like that you can choose an account for sync calendars ... or not. I started with them, but then i preferred to do it on my own next-cloud server.
If you want a google-free and secure smartphone, this is a very good choice.
Excellent OS for phones to those looking for a bit more privacy.
I have been following them and they have been steadily improving. I've been using E/OS on many phones and never had big issues. The only one worth mentioning is some bluetooth connection problems to some devices (using CanZE).
Being an usual visitor of distrowatch I was surprised to see there are very few announcements for newer releases. Murena updates the system almost monthly. At least the 1.9 release was mentioned.
There is of course place for improvements but the work they are doing with the resources Murena has is excellent so any small issues are easy to forgive.
I hope distrowatch will review the 1.9 version.
Give Murena / E/OS a try..
I look forward for their future improvements...
Great system. It's an android that thinks about people. By default there is no trace of google.
The system is associated with a nextcloud based cloud service that is very efficient and from the information you can get their servers are powered by renewable energy.
It is very user-friendly as well:
-The cloud service is not mandatory, just as signing up is not mandatory.
-The app store is called app longe and there are as many apps as you may want and for each app there is a privacy and tracer assessment, so that the user is always aware of what they are installing, but at the same time you can also install alternative stores.
I find it very nice that the foundation headed by Murena also sells smartphones already configured with the /e/ system so as to help those who are less geeky but want their privacy.
I have installed it in two smarphones not for sale, one with the installer made available, the other without.
I find it a viable alternative.
The banking apps are the Achilles heel. Not all of them work.
Version: 1.1 Rating: 9 Date: 2022-08-09 Votes: 80
Never a 10; there is always room for improvement.
I have had several devices (Oneplus 5T, Samsung galaxy note 9, Samsung tablet) and I am very pleased with performance and functionality on the mobile devices and the cloud suite. I am switching to the cloud suite from Apple and Google and I am very satisfied with the available applications and performance online.
Please continue with this platform as it is a clean environment in the Apple/Google/Microsoft controlled environments.
pros:
1) Free 1GB storage for email, files etc which can be expanded with plans
2) de googled
3) largely android compatible (i.e. lots of apps)
4) no unwanted tracking eating all your mobile data and intruding on your privacy
5) regular security updates
cons:
1) in app purchases do not restore from play store (only purchased apps can be restored)
2) old version of android - 'Q' on this device
Nova launcher premium restored, as did aCalendar pro and simple gallery pro as were paid-for-apps
All others that start free and then have in app purchases do not work
Private smartphone - an oxymoron, but, near as damn it!
This OS is a winner! Battery life has improved, This is the second, maybe third wind for this phone. I really see no need to replace and or update to anything else. Just think, you REALLY don't have to update your phone every other year for 2k a pop.
What a deal!
There is a setting to completely disconnect from the Goolag mainframe completely, other than using Airplane mode by using the 'Advanced Privacy' feature.
It's not close to being 'the Linux phone,' I see no reason in a few years how Apple and Goolag make up the marketshare by selling to the consumer a 'new phone' with more TikTok features, the 'new phone' gimmick is drying up for those of us who like saving money or having more of it for something more important.
Version: 1.0 Rating: 9 Date: 2022-06-04 Votes: 35
Android without Google's tentacles, the way it was always meant to be.
I bought a Galaxy S9 from them a while back, have essentially nothing to complain about. I think the home menu, the "desktop" let's call it, has a couple of quirks, but my previous phone was ancient so I'm not sure how much this is an /e/ thing vs an Android thing. Also be aware that there's a good amount of apps (I think I remember PayPal specifically) that refuse to work because they weren't installed from Google's garbage store. Fortunately I don't use any of these apps so my experience is very smooth.
I hope they're still in business a few years from now when it's time to buy a new phone 'cause I have no intention of ever buying an upstream Google phone ever again (and I'll drop dead before I give Apple a cent).
Version: 1.0 Rating: 9 Date: 2022-06-03 Votes: 35
I bought a refurbished Galaxy S9 over a year ago and successfully installed a beta development release version of /e/os manually via a linux laptop.
There is an installer program which guides the user through the installation process to get /e/os onto a few specific models of mobile phone - those models which they also sell via Murena ( "e.foundation" ) with /e/os preinstalled.
Was delighted with the recent update to V1.0
pros:
- the option to purchase preinstalled handsets great for less techy folk
- extensive additional advanced privacy controls (spoof IP address, antitracking, fake/hide geolocation and granular app permissions)
- no google! (at least only what you might choose to install from Google). MicroG allows some 'play' functionality.
- basically Android without the Google monopoly
- largely compatible with existing Android Apps (I still prefer fDroid and Aurora store to their App Lounge)
- option to buy into Murena's nextcloud based eco system to replace Google docs, Gmail etc.
- regular security updates over air.
cons:
- banking apps don't work (NFC credit cards etc also don't work)
- can't delete or disable pre-installed /e/os apps you don't wish to use (though you can still download your favourite replacement apps if you install aurora store via fDroid)
- UK users' cloud data is stored in Finland and is visible to Murena admins (not so private!)
- still based on AOSP Android 'Q' on my device, though other phones they support are already on 'R'
Along with Lineage OS, which it is forked from, IMHO the best AOSP complete package you can hope for today.
I am using /e/OS (Murena) since 2020 (on a Fairphone 3). Starting from the beta-version 0.x I think it has developed nicely over time. I think the fact that I am still using it after four years is a statement for itself. Additionally, I list some thoughts of mine in a pro/con list:
pro:
. very good job for removing Google components (even though certainly some aspects are left).
- easy to get: easy installer and even phones with preinstalled /e/OS are available.
- More or less everything works out-of-the-box. Including banking apps and everything else what I have tried.
- Access to the apps from the Google store through a Aurora-like construction.
- For the day-to-day use I barely recognize any difference between /e/OS and a standard Android.
- stable in the meanwhile.
- regular updates, sometimes better support of older smartphones than standard Android.
- good forum and support for a large number of phones.
cons:
- /e/ is still heavily developed which sometimes features and settings change significantly between system updates. In the past there have also been a few minor bugs like phantom notifications (during version 0.x) or some issues with the mobile internet which sometimes had random interruptions (during one of the early 1.x versions, I do not remember which one). But these bugs were always fixed very fast and appeared much less frequent recently.
- Even though the compared to AOSP and also to LineageOS security updates arrive one to two months later, which is a debatable delay.
- Integration in the Murena environment might have similar disadvantages as the integration into the Google environment. In general I am less convinced of the Murena cloud services. On the other hand, using them is optional and can easily be turned off (the same is not possible for the google services on standard Android)
- When using a (partially) deGoogled phone, one always has to be clear that there are a few applications which cannot replaced by free software while retaining the same functionality. For me, the most important example is Google Maps. While for the general navigation MagicMaps (the preinstalled map in /e/) or OSM+ works great, something like the search/display of opening times/other details for local stores/restaurants or real-time traffic information cannot be provided by free services since these functionalities heavily rely on data.
In summary, I think /e/OS (Murena) is a good compromise between privacy and usability. For me /e/OS includes everything what I need for my day-to-day-life and does not require my constant attention. While some other custom ROMs like GrapheneOS are better in security and privacy aspects, these options require by far more work and knowledge for installation, maintenance and for running all desired functionalities (additionally GrapheneOS is restricted to Google Pixel phones, which contradicts the motivation not to support Google). I am subtracting one point of the rating for the delayed security patches, but otherwise it is for me a great OS for my phone. But I am aware that a different weighting between usability, privacy and security might lead to a different conclusion.
I use this distro more than half a year. They provide quite often updates. I'm glad from it. It does not drain your battery and runs smoothly + you have fresh android with security updates every month/two months.
I have bank app and broker one and they both work even I read about broker one does not like rooted systems.
I haven't used murena cloud yet.
Version 2.0 have nicer look and feel. I really like it looks like.
The mail client (k-9 clone maintained by Murena) on previous OS versions was not working very well, so I installed original k-9. It does work perfectly with my gmail account. I also use tuta/tutanota client and works fine.
The map app was difficult at the beginning, but as I learned it more it is quite good replacement for google maps.
I installed 1.17t evert on Motorola Moto G6 plus. I've upgraded from Android 9, which has the latest security updates on May 2020.
So far, I'm very glad of /e/ OS. It work very stable and I have new Android experience - still learning new features of Android 13.
The apps provided by Murena are quite good. I haven't tested the map yet much, but shows my home well and finds the route to my work.
I've got some difficulties during loading bootloader image, but after few attempts and phone restarts it finally got loaded. Then other steps started to look much more easy than the very beginning. They should also make some movies how to install stuff, because reading the instructions and doing it first time is a bit difficult.
As I understood it, everything started a couple of years ago with the FOSS operation system /e/OS, and the objective to bring privacy to Android smart phones. After the release of version 1.0 in may 2022, they started establishing the trademark "Murena" in order to offer and sell smart phones with pre-installed /e/OS.
In october 2021, I bought a refurbished Gigaset GS290 (which at that time was one of the mainstream /e/OS-supported phone modells), downloaded /e/OS v0.18 and installed it using the Android tools adb and fastboot. That proved to be way more difficult than expected, probably because I was new to Android, and I learned A LOT about Android and its administration-tools before it eventually started working. Since then I installed all updates, and a few apps (e.g. the privacy oriented proton-email-client), and can confirm that /e/OS runs well and reliable on the GigaSet GS290.
I'm using it every day and I'm very satisfied with it, hence, I can recommend e/OS/ and rate it here with a "10". Many thanks to the /e/OS-team who provided this innovative smart phone OS.
Today, I read the bitter comments from a user below (2023-11-11), and can only recommend him or her to become member of the /e/OS-community and to publish the description of the issues there to create awareness of such things. Sounds like a hacking attack. Would also be interesting to learn which apps precisely he or she installed, when/before the trouble began.
I live in Sweden and ordered a murena one on the web.
I was attracted by the fact that it was preinstalled with the lineage os
in the "e" flavour. Customer support was there but could not offer
even flattering (that they could make money out of) minor services.
I was asking for a wallet case and even pointed them at someone that
could make one. But no,no, no service.
The non working app kept to be just that (non working) so they seem
not to be knowledgeable.
I used it for about half a year.
I installed whatsapp and a security app. Whatsapp worked
fine but the security app did only work partly.
There was always problems with notifications. They arrived too late
or not at all.
I have stopped using it september 2023 as it had strange virus-like behaviuour.
I put up with it for a time but when someone was running a full-fledged
remote desktop on the phone just after a major system update I had enough of it.
Calls were often cut off after a short time. I do not know why. Possibly because
of inferiour hardware or some kind of "big brother" virus-like problem or worse.
It also had "false notifications" and system settings that were changed often in
the middle of phone calls. I do not think anyone would like such a virus-laden
phone. If you like to make enemies out of your friends and confidantes,
then it is a phone that I would highly recommend, otherwise not.
I have a OnePlus 8 that I was able to install /e/ on using e.foundation automated process.
I am not tech savy but I was able to get /e/ up and running with a few attempts on the
OnePlus. I recently bought a Fairphone 4 with /e/ preinstalled. I don't like being tracked so I
was trying to get away from the big G. I like that Murena provides some of the service that
Google normally provides but I don't use Murena's account either. I basically use my phone
as a phone and some messaging so I get along fine without syncing anything to a cloud. I also
don't know much about Nextcloud and how private it is. The app lounge makes it easy to
install apps but some preinstalled apps don't delete as easy. I have also found some apps
that let you export your data to something other than a cloud. The app lounge uses Exodus
Privacy tools to rate the apps on the app lounge and they give Whatsapp an 8 out of 10 for
privacy so I put more trust in F-Droid but still do more checking apps before installing. My
Fairphone has an sd card and I have tried side loading apps to the Fairphone sd card but
they would not install. I don't know of it is my file manager or /e/ os. I have not had problems
sideloading apps to my OnePlus 8 but it does not have an sd card so I had to install them to
internal storage and that worked. I will try moving the apps to internal memory on the
Fairphone to see if that works. I have read that /e/ os still pings Google and I am trying to
find a way to stop that. I read that there was a way to stop Lineage os from pinging Google so
I will see if I can find out how and see if it will work on /e/. I like that /e/ is from the European
Union where they respect privacy and they have made it available in the US. I do wish that
there was a mobile os that was written from the ground up from a trustworthy source. /e/ has
a lot of settings sometimes making it hard to find the one you are looking for. I like one on the
OnePlus 8 that I can set it so double tapping the screen will open the desktop but I have not
been able to find that option on the Fairphone. I appreciate that the Fairphone has a
replaceable battery and other components that are made to last for more than a couple of
years and ecologically minded. I hope Murena is here to stay and is able to expand.
I commented before when on v1.11 AOSP 10 'Q' stable (* see below):
the new 'R' 1.15 was not good on my Samsung S9, so took the plunge and sideloaded to 'T' 1.15 using a Linux computer.
NOTE: as of 5th Oct, the recovery.img is in the ZIP file on the starlte /e/os webpage (and not the usual pair of files) - extract from and use that via heimdall in samsung recovery mode... (the adb sideload as before using the whole downloaded zip)
IMPORTANT: Boot loop at first attempt!!!(stuck at 'e' with bouncing '.' at reboot - you really need to factory reset whilst in recovery mode before side-loading 'T' 1.15 dev with adb. Of course this means a lot of restoring backed up data / re-set-up of phone etc.
'T' 1.15 dev is (eventually) GREAT!
But, if you are at all worried about any data loss in the manual process, stay on the stable channel and wait patiently for OTA updates (like I didn't)!
_________________
previously submitted:
_________________
pros:
1) Free 1GB storage for email, files etc which can be expanded with plans
2) de googled
3) largely android compatible (i.e. lots of apps)
4) no unwanted tracking eating all your mobile data and intruding on your privacy
5) regular security updates
cons:
1) in app purchases do not restore from play store (only purchased apps can be restored)
2) old version of android - 'Q' on this device *[NOW 'T' DEV 1.15]
Nova launcher premium restored, as did aCalendar pro and simple gallery pro as were paid-for-apps
All others that start free and then have in app purchases do not work
Private smartphone - an oxymoron, but, near as damn it!
Over all good OS.
Works well even on outdated devices like Mi5.
Considering android's support mess (or rather lack of support) recessive regular updates.
UI piggybacks on Trebuchet and can glitch a bit if the phone is under load (probably only noticeable with 3GB of ram). Governor doing its best but sometimes it's not enough to overcome android's bloat and background apps or services can crash. And this is without gapps installed. To be fair it's not claiming to be a streamlined version of android and as far as I can see the memory usage is on par with LineageOS.
The real star of the show for me is the App Lounge. Preinstalled app manager (auto updates work without rooting or sideloading apps via adb) combining anonymous google play access, automatically updated F-Droid apps and a library of useful web based applications.
I've been using it as my main phone OS for few years now with no major issues. Sometimes some odd application refuses to cooperate properly with the OS claiming it is a rooted system, but I did manage to convince few app suppliers to allow e/OS and now most of these apps work fine.
It does great job in replacing google services. I tried LineageOS before using e/OS and regularly experienced issues. Not here.
Otherwise it is a solid Android experience with a lot of customisation that can be added. Personally didnt like the original launcher it ships with, and find Fairphone2 launcher (available from F-Droid) to be much more user friendly.
Fine, but support for legacy devices is lacking. This is a pretty solid Android custom ROM with all the bells and whistles you come to expect, except without any Google services. One complaint I have is that once the device you install the OS on becomes unsupported, it becomes practically unusable. It's also quite hard to use this as an actual day-to-day phone, seeing as most apps rely on the bare minimum Google services being installed, and getting those to work on this phone is a pain. It also doesn't do anything special to stand out from other Android custom ROMs, and that's kind of disappointing.
two years ago I bought a fairphone 3+ with the stock android 9 installed. Then I knew /e/os and installed it with help of my linux pc. I have never turned back to stock android. They make regular updates, and offer automatical stepups. With the last update some days ago I arrived to 1.9 which is given as Android12. Great work. In two years from Android 9 to 12.
I don't have any app not working on it. I like that you can choose an account for sync calendars ... or not. I started with them, but then i preferred to do it on my own next-cloud server.
If you want a google-free and secure smartphone, this is a very good choice.
Excellent OS for phones to those looking for a bit more privacy.
I have been following them and they have been steadily improving. I've been using E/OS on many phones and never had big issues. The only one worth mentioning is some bluetooth connection problems to some devices (using CanZE).
Being an usual visitor of distrowatch I was surprised to see there are very few announcements for newer releases. Murena updates the system almost monthly. At least the 1.9 release was mentioned.
There is of course place for improvements but the work they are doing with the resources Murena has is excellent so any small issues are easy to forgive.
I hope distrowatch will review the 1.9 version.
Give Murena / E/OS a try..
I look forward for their future improvements...
Great system. It's an android that thinks about people. By default there is no trace of google.
The system is associated with a nextcloud based cloud service that is very efficient and from the information you can get their servers are powered by renewable energy.
It is very user-friendly as well:
-The cloud service is not mandatory, just as signing up is not mandatory.
-The app store is called app longe and there are as many apps as you may want and for each app there is a privacy and tracer assessment, so that the user is always aware of what they are installing, but at the same time you can also install alternative stores.
I find it very nice that the foundation headed by Murena also sells smartphones already configured with the /e/ system so as to help those who are less geeky but want their privacy.
I have installed it in two smarphones not for sale, one with the installer made available, the other without.
I find it a viable alternative.
The banking apps are the Achilles heel. Not all of them work.
I have had several devices (Oneplus 5T, Samsung galaxy note 9, Samsung tablet) and I am very pleased with performance and functionality on the mobile devices and the cloud suite. I am switching to the cloud suite from Apple and Google and I am very satisfied with the available applications and performance online.
Please continue with this platform as it is a clean environment in the Apple/Google/Microsoft controlled environments.
pros:
1) Free 1GB storage for email, files etc which can be expanded with plans
2) de googled
3) largely android compatible (i.e. lots of apps)
4) no unwanted tracking eating all your mobile data and intruding on your privacy
5) regular security updates
cons:
1) in app purchases do not restore from play store (only purchased apps can be restored)
2) old version of android - 'Q' on this device
Nova launcher premium restored, as did aCalendar pro and simple gallery pro as were paid-for-apps
All others that start free and then have in app purchases do not work
Private smartphone - an oxymoron, but, near as damn it!
This OS is a winner! Battery life has improved, This is the second, maybe third wind for this phone. I really see no need to replace and or update to anything else. Just think, you REALLY don't have to update your phone every other year for 2k a pop.
What a deal!
There is a setting to completely disconnect from the Goolag mainframe completely, other than using Airplane mode by using the 'Advanced Privacy' feature.
It's not close to being 'the Linux phone,' I see no reason in a few years how Apple and Goolag make up the marketshare by selling to the consumer a 'new phone' with more TikTok features, the 'new phone' gimmick is drying up for those of us who like saving money or having more of it for something more important.
Android without Google's tentacles, the way it was always meant to be.
I bought a Galaxy S9 from them a while back, have essentially nothing to complain about. I think the home menu, the "desktop" let's call it, has a couple of quirks, but my previous phone was ancient so I'm not sure how much this is an /e/ thing vs an Android thing. Also be aware that there's a good amount of apps (I think I remember PayPal specifically) that refuse to work because they weren't installed from Google's garbage store. Fortunately I don't use any of these apps so my experience is very smooth.
I hope they're still in business a few years from now when it's time to buy a new phone 'cause I have no intention of ever buying an upstream Google phone ever again (and I'll drop dead before I give Apple a cent).
I bought a refurbished Galaxy S9 over a year ago and successfully installed a beta development release version of /e/os manually via a linux laptop.
There is an installer program which guides the user through the installation process to get /e/os onto a few specific models of mobile phone - those models which they also sell via Murena ( "e.foundation" ) with /e/os preinstalled.
Was delighted with the recent update to V1.0
pros:
- the option to purchase preinstalled handsets great for less techy folk
- extensive additional advanced privacy controls (spoof IP address, antitracking, fake/hide geolocation and granular app permissions)
- no google! (at least only what you might choose to install from Google). MicroG allows some 'play' functionality.
- basically Android without the Google monopoly
- largely compatible with existing Android Apps (I still prefer fDroid and Aurora store to their App Lounge)
- option to buy into Murena's nextcloud based eco system to replace Google docs, Gmail etc.
- regular security updates over air.
cons:
- banking apps don't work (NFC credit cards etc also don't work)
- can't delete or disable pre-installed /e/os apps you don't wish to use (though you can still download your favourite replacement apps if you install aurora store via fDroid)
- UK users' cloud data is stored in Finland and is visible to Murena admins (not so private!)
- still based on AOSP Android 'Q' on my device, though other phones they support are already on 'R'
Along with Lineage OS, which it is forked from, IMHO the best AOSP complete package you can hope for today.
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