Murena and /e/ Foundation launch privacy-centric smartphones The /e/ Foundation's de-Googled version of Android 10 has reached the market in a range of smartphones aimed at the privacy-conscious. The idea of a privacy-centric version of Android is not new, and efforts to deliver are becoming friendlier all the time. The Register interviewed the founder of the /e/ Foundation in 2020, and …
My lovely little Huawei P30 will eventually need to be replaced, and this looks like a great option. However it's not the privacy elements that appeal most, its the lack of great steaming heaps of Google and other junk that I neither need nor want. Just as the appeal of Linux is that it gives me what I need without endless other sponsored crap, I'd love a phone that does basic Android stuff without all of the (often non-removable) extra "features" and "improvements" that clutter up all of the commercial OSs.
Although, just as I've moved my calendar to NextCloud, and email back to Thunderbird and my own domain, and as I keep backups on my desk, not in The Cloud, I'd welcome a phone that doesn't need to be battled daily to keep Google's prying fingers off of it.
> His phone does calls, text, browsing and that's all he needs it for
So does my dumbphone, and it cost me less than 50€.
What's the point of paying for features you won't use?
And don't get me wrong, I do not have a smartphone because of the Google / Apple requirements, but I am seriously considering /e/ as an option. However, if I pay more than 200€ for a phone, I'd expect much more from it than just calls, texts and a browser without an all-seeing-(eye|ear) attached
The only Android one I know that does is the Google Nexus 7 (Tablet). None of the Samsung ones do for example.
It had a similar system to the iOS that out of the box (and every time you wipe it to factory settings), you need to reactivate.
I think Google stopped doing that because... well because it is fscking ridiculous.
LineageOS is full of code that sends some data to Google, starting with connectivity check, default DNS etc. So definately not trustable for privacy purpose. Also it's a very game to have a fined-tuned, ready to use product, with consistency accross services, UI, etc. than doing some self-customization of a OS like LineageOS. Most people don't have enough knowledge to do the work properly and in the best case, they end up into a Christmas Tree OS in term of User Experience.
Well, the notion of privacy is just a gimmick. Many countries are moving towards total digital surveillance (which is required if you want to implement a social credit score - one cannot have a good score while committing thought crimes) - the EU, UK and so on.
The plus side is that there is always going to be someone reading or watching your content.
Imagine taking your morning selfie and then having your handler from Home Office messaging you that you look a bit dehydrated and that he/him ordered you some electrolytes (of course added to your PAYE tax bill).
Which, physically, for most devices most of the time doesn't happen. If your software stack on the endpoints is open source, uses end to end encryption and the devices remain in the possession of their owners, it is very unlikely that "there is always going to be someone reading or watching your content."
If you or the other party in a conversation are specifically targeted by an agency of a nation state, of course, all bets are off.
"The plus side is that there is always going to be someone reading or watching your content."
Only if you trip some sort of alarm. With a population of around sixty seven million (UK, France), do you really think somebody somewhere is going to read your messages and look at your photos? It'll be a machine, some shitty AI that can't tell the difference between a petunia and a naked child. You'll only be "of interest" if you're flagged. And even then, what? Look how many terrorists are "known to the authorities", who did bugger all until loads of people got killed, by which point it's kinda far too late.
The bigger problem is not the government surveillance.
No, the bigger problem is shadowy AI making bullshit conclusions (did you Google anything medical recently?) which could be passed on to things like health insurers, if they pay the right money.
I look up various medicines if I spot the packets at work (usually in the bin). Tramadol, yes. Dothiepin, yes. Chlorpromazine, yes. And comically, one of my colleagues freaking out over finding a bunch of big white pills that said "FF"...until I Googled a picture of Fishermen's Friends. So...god only knows what "the system" makes of me. And since this stuff is analysed, collated, collected, and sold without us knowing what, how, or to whom.... that right there is the problem.
I don't fear my government. I don't live in the US, so I know my government has procedures that it is supposed to follow.
I fear the likes of Google. And Apple. These big tech firms that don't think they need to answer to us, governments, laws, democracy, or the Inland Revenue...
PS: I'd love to have a handler from the Home Office. Just the right person to tell exactly what I think of the void of humanity that is Patel. As frequently as possible.
> Only if you trip some sort of alarm. With a population of around sixty seven million (UK, France), do you really think somebody somewhere is going to read your messages and look at your photos?
Here in Spain, if you dare to set your phone language to Catalan or Euskara, be assured you'll be flagged.
Remember, if your device could be watched for some data, it can and will for all of it.
Privacy has different meaning in the mouth of different people. I think the biggest benefit of /e/OS and the Murena One is to offer users a way to escape permanent and industrial harvesting of their personal data by the big techs. This starts with the OS and 0-data sent to Google, and continues with trackers-management for applications. What they offer is useless for people can potentially be targetted by gov agencies or criminal orgs, but totally makes sense to escape surveillance capitalism. I like it.
As in the famous joke with the laser printer from 2004 and a loaded gun beside it, I use a five year old Iphone as a so-so passable compromise between the comfort of having a smartphone in my pocket at all times and at least some level vague pretention of digital privacy.
A 350 € price tag for a contemporary smartphone rid of both Google's big brotherism and Apple's menace is actually a bargain to me.
I've been in touch with the /e/ foundation, and they kindly provided me with this link to their Easy Installer. It looks like one can actually flash the /e/ OS to an existing smartphone and the selection is actually pretty wide. There are some hiccups documented in their forum, but from the looks of it it's usually nothing unsurmountable.
And they offer yet another kind of sustainable phone for around the same price as the Murena One with rougly similar parameters.
In my experience, volume provides for good bug checking and subsequent security updates - Apple is in front there because they keep updating their phones for much longer than I was expecting (to the point that I've kept an iPhone 6 around, just to check when it finally tapers off :) ).
The wide variety of Android hardware introduces what I'd call the Microsoft problem: it's hard to manage security if you have to manage diversity alongside it unless you can set clear boundaries between core and peripheral. The moment you have a device that is, er, "non-Google" because you're in essence competing with dirrenet hardware agains the originator of the OS you will also have to manage the delta from a standard that is imposed upon you, and that takes resources.
If you're running a small outfit, that delta will take up quite a disproportionate amount of resources.
I wish them luck, every effort to improve privacy is worth getting attention (even on the basis of an OS developed by the organisation deemed one of the biggest risks to personl privacy in the 21st century). I just hope they can maintain it.
This doesn't worry me as much. With Android, a lot of the security risks are just getting the patches that already exist and putting them on the phones. Yes, the custom code for each device may contain bugs and vulnerabilities, but those only work on that specific version of the hardware. Attackers generally want to target a lot of devices in one go, so because a lot of Android devices don't have security updates, they can target those vulns and get access to many more with one exploit. If this OS is any good, it will include more frequent access to security patches. It is a fork of Lineage OS, which often offers daily patches if you're willing to install it every day. If they keep that level of patching, the Android used should be very secure compared to the average device, leaving a smaller attack surface available.
Good point there! I'm really excited about the offering, Murena sells even a variety of sustainable phones apart from their own model. It feels like exactly the thing I've been waiting for. But. I have the Gemini, with Indiegogo backer number around 250. And though Planet tried very hard, I've been nothing but disappointed with the thing, about both hardware and software. This time my excitement is thoroughly dampened by my Gemini experience. I do wish a brightest future both to /e/ and Murena, but I can see many obstacles to their longevity.
My current Iphone is ver five years old. A feels-good compromise between state-of-the-art-ness and comfort of gadget longevity. But a very long time for arguably a small company serving a tiny niche market.
The anti-etatist in me tries to scream at the thought thet perhaps the EU could somehow set up a framework for public services using phones which don't siphon all available usage data to non-EU entities (our police use stock Samsungs ffs), but it coupd perhaps help the long term prospects of iniciatives such as this one. I had high hopes for Sailfish some time ago, before the lack of market uptake, lack of supported apps as well as devices and finally the Russian investment soured the whole lovely prospect.
That's a good question. As you know but perhaps some lurkers do not, many apps (those from the financial sector seem to do this a lot) are tied to Google's magic pixie dust and won't work on de-Googled Android. To answer your question, see the /e/ Foundation's user forum, where people share such information. Some banks' apps are reported to work and others are known to not work.
Users can indeed buy the same exact phone for half the price and flash (for free) the same /e/OS V1 build of Murena One (that will be officially provided by /e/ foundation) ;) .
The Murena One hardware device is just the ODM variant (4500mAh battery instead of 5000mAh) of the Coolpad Cool S - model 2039 - manufactured by Yulong Computer Telecommunication Scientific (Shenzhen) Co. LTD.
We're talking about a Q1 2021 (underwhelming) device with current street price below 180USD.
- - -
Therefore, users who wish to try /e/OS V1 have better alternatives, since they can :
A. Directly buy the CoolPad Cool S (saving 200USD) & flash the official /e/OS V1 build (based on Android 10/Q) for Murena One (available for free) = same hardware and software for less than 180USD
or even better
B. Spend the same 380USD budget for a better device & flash the officially released /e/OS device build or GSI (if device build not available) - already based on Android 11/R
- - -
True that the hardware isn't the selling point, but Murena usually charges a software retail markup in range 55-75USD for officially pre-installed /e/OS (check for instance the Fairphone 3+ and 4 listings in Murena shop).
Sorry, but that there isn't any in-house design/choice for the hardware of Murena One. Therefore, there's nothing that could justify such huge markup increase from the usually applied one up to 200USD.
The Murena One device is just the ODM variant (4500mAh battery instead of 5000mAh) of the Coolpad Cool S [model 2039 - manufactured by Yulong Computer Telecommunication Scientific (Shenzhen) Co. LTD].
We're talking about a Q1 2021 (underwhelming) device with current street price below 180USD.
https://twitter.com/relationsatwork/status/1531783994366259200
Therefore, users who wish to try /e/OS V1 have better alternatives, since they can :
A. Directly buy the CoolPad Cool S (saving 200USD) & flash the official /e/OS build for Murena One (available for free) = same hardware and software for less than 180USD
or (even better)
B. Spend the same 380USD budget for a better device & flash the officially released /e/OS device build or GSI (if device build not available)
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