Android without Google is now 100% usable

[@TheLinuxEXP]

Download Safing's Portmaster, or subscribe to the SPN, and take control of your network traffic: safing.io/portmaster

[@NJ-wb1cz]

@@MrOrtmeier does it have easy selective unblocking? Like, I see that something is broken, go to the blocked log, and unblock just those addresses or filters for that client?

[@fellowcitizen]

You should ask Sigma to sponsor a review of their re-mounting service, and change your 56mm to X-mount to work with your X-Pro3 ;-)

[@AndroidFerret]

I have a fairphone .does it work on that ?

[@infotruther]

@@MrOrtmeier hey have you seen the beagle bone black it's very much like the rpi?

[@infotruther]

@@AndroidFerret yes i think that's what he was using

[@HenriqueSilveiraSteinmetz]

I've been using E OS on a Samsung A5 2017 for over a year, very satisfied with the system. The battery lasts four times longer than the original system, in addition to the performance being much better

[@TheLinuxEXP]

Yeah, battery life is amazing!

[@giomjava]

wow! That's impressive

[@thomasmeunier8669]

shitty OS

[@welshtechie6832]

I have the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra - I have no chance - unless I am prepared to delve deep into it. For an expensive phone no chance but when my contract is up in 18 months I may well have a look then!

[@No-one_is_here_]

Please reply sir .. can we use banking apps like Paytm, paypal, phone pay ..

[@ripthedvd9728]

The best thing about this project is that they sell phones with this ROM preinstalled. That makes it accessible to normal people who care about privacy, as well as give people like us an easy way to financially support them. I think it's pretty difficult for open source developers to get paid for their work, which is one of the biggest things holding open source back.

[@MasicoreLord]

one of the few companies actually releasing their os/roms for devices that they don't sell.

[@Essie314x]

and also get warranty in return, which is also great

[@Henry-sv3wv]

how does the small open source dev benefit if the phone seller gets the money?

[@jlnrdeep]

This is what a degooglified android phone really needed, i hope this trend of a more sustainable and user friendly open software/hardware keeps growing, in time it can even compete with Microsoft and Mac, I hope to see the day such a dream come true.

[@SkyyySi]

Honestly my only problem I still have with this is the iOS-knockoff UI. It really cheapens the experience a lot imo, they should just have used the stock Android UI and built off of that one instead. This knockoff UI is not just really inconsistent, it also makes the system look like a cheap Chinaphone. It's also not like stock is impossible to use for anyone who's not a techy and who used custom roms for years.

[@TheLinuxEXP]

Yeah, fortunately you can install any launcher!

[@SeanSMST]

Yeah you can still use any launcher you want. You're not restricted, unlike ios.

[@practixal]

Assuming it's open source (don't know for sure), you should be able to replace the assets with AOSP assets. If you wanted to get real fancy I'm sure you could figure out how the custom UI works and remove it. Once ur done just build and flash. - someone who has never built or modified android

[@ikgeek]

All phones are china phones 😂

[@SeanSMST]

@@happygofishing It does look like a chinese thing sure, but I think it's to make it simple for non power users who'll buy a murena phone. You know, not all ios lookalikes are some chinese bootleg thing. It's more appealing to beginners or tech illiterates to have a more simplified ui. For instance, my mom's phone looks similasr to the murena ui.

[@doublinx2]

Very happy for the rise of non-big tech, privacy focused services. If Proton was a bit more robust I could probably get away with only needing Google for KZbin...!

[@babagandu]

Me also ... I'm so happy to see this becoming more mainstream

[@-_wanderer]

But as far as I know, Android itself is owned by Google I don't think you can escape from Google

[@excalligator5529]

@@-_wanderer it’s primarily maintained by google but since it’s open source we can check what they’ve added on the OS level not on what is added on top of android but with an entirely FOSS android fork then you’re primarily separated from google

[@crusadertwo239]

if i was so worried about privacy i wouldnt probably be a techie

[@noneofyourbusiness517]

what do you exactly mean by more robust?

[@abhisek330]

11:50 😂😂 "6.3 inches is too big.............! For a phone." True though. Its hard to find smaller android phones these days.

[@crusadertwo239]

mines 6.7 i think lol

[@nodraw_]

@@crusadertwo239 that’s a big phone

[@crusadertwo239]

@@nodraw_ yeah lol

[@pk_fauxtaux]

@@nodraw_ absolutely, mine is 7" and you definitely need 2 hands...

[@sirrgb2070]

I am honestly not a fan of /e/ OS, but I see why people like the simplicity of it and the ease of use. Personally I think lineage micro-g, iodé os and divest are more privacy suited. Lineage Micro G does include a full suite of aurora apps out of the box, iodé has the firewall app and divest just goes all foss even removing vendor blobs and drm (safetynet wont work obv). Other notable privacy focused roms are Calyx OS, Copperhead OS and Graphene OS, but I dont know that much about those. As for a small phone supported by /e/ OS, there is the Zenfone 8, which has the Qualcom Snapdragon 888, 5G and a 5.9' 120hz OLED screen, which is the smallest you can get in the high end range... I hope you can get a glimpse on all of them and become a flashoholic, just as I am. :D

[@NeoFutur7]

no a fan ? have yo found anything better ? for real ?

[@theauthenticsteve]

I don't understand how Lineage can be considered more privacy suited when /e/ OS is basically Lineage but with all Google services removed. Also I think that because /e/ OS is build around Murena cloud it effectively finally provides a simple realistic solution to be able to de-Google your phone without compromise. Can you explain to me why I'm wrong and why you think other options are more privacy suited?

[@sirrgb2070]

@@theauthenticsteve Lineage doesnt ship with google services either, but nearly everyone installs gapps in addition to the rom. /e/ OS just adds in replacements for apps you would have to install yourself (and an iOS launcher). As I said, I dont see a significant difference to lineage micro g (not lineage os itself) from a privacy perspective. Especially Divest is more privacy suited than others, since they apply their own security patches and remove precompiled proprietary stuff such as drm and some vendor blobs. Hope I could clarify a bit.👍

[@sirrgb2070]

@@NeoFutur7 depends on what you call better, more convinient for beginners? No. More privacy oriented? Yes. As I said especially Divest goes a little further when it comes to removing proprietary stuff.

[@rohansampat1995]

none of these make wallet work, so im out.

[@Rafael-lc6yr]

Not directly related to the video, but one thing I've been thinking a lot about lately is how a properly supported gnu linux phone with modern-ish hardware could replace my computer for every task (except AAA gaming). For example, the hardware capabilities of my 2020 s20 fe are more than enough for my needs (ssh, python and R programming, browsing the web, editing documents, media consumption etc), but it is very lacking in the software side of things, though it's technically possible to use all of those even with android. I know this isn't the case for everyone, but i bet it is for most people, since most just browse the web and edit documents... Good video btw

[@friendlyperson9841]

Just a few weeks ago, I convinced my mum to buy herself the fairpone 4. I looked into /e/ a bit then. Now it seams to be quite a bit more realistic to actually use it

[@TheLinuxEXP]

It's really, really cool

[@fred-youtube]

You should install it for her, it has a simpler UI and no spying, if you're not good with custom roms, you can wait for their easy installer to support the FP 4

[@thomasmeunier8669]

it's shit

[@crusadertwo239]

@@fred-youtubehonestly im just going to stick with google lol

[@proyectosledar]

I love this rom!!! I have been using it for more than a year without problems except for banks applications. Unfortunately this update did not solve the problem =(

[@TheLinuxEXP]

Ah weird, my banking app works with the update now!

[@proyectosledar]

@@TheLinuxEXP Thanks for the reply. When opening the application, it gives an error: a security risk has been detected on the device (ua599) (R:5) At the moment I prefer to continue using this rom and not use the bank application

[@fabiandrinksmilk6205]

@@proyectosledar You can go to settings and then MicroG where you can test to see if SafetyNet works. It could be possible that you still have your bootloader unlocked or have rooted your device. There are workarounds to hide root and an unlocked bootloader from SafetyNet.

[@microwavetaco2731]

The problem with /e/ OS is that its just LineageOS (they've even been accused of stealing code from lineage without attribution) with your data being sent to a Nextcloud server on top. You're just trusting the /e/ foundation over Google vs using something like grapheneOS which doesn't send away all your data. Also, apps on graphene also work fine too

[@daan5918]

Im am not a expert, so watching lots of yt and reading comments. I am deciding between /e/os, calyx an graphene. How do you know /e/ is sending data? and graphene and calyx dont? Greetings

[@daan5918]

Is this only when using nextcloud? because i dont intend to use any cloud service at all.

[@selfelements8037]

10:58 I absolutely agree. Bring back them small flagship smartphones! Plus, what's with the full-hd+ resolutions? Seems like a dumb excuse to increase the amount of RAM, which further impacts battery life!

[@sergeymelkumov9232]

I have Fairphone 4 and it was the Fair Trade certification and ability to buy parts online to make repairs that sold it for me. I consider myself a tech nerd too, I run my own cloud open source infrastructure and do other cool stuff that would be considered nerdy. I think changing your phone regularly is not about being a tech nerd, most people i know who does that - don´t even know what is an operating system.

[@enkiimuto1041]

all props aside, I find it hilarious that like you said, the developers of something as complex as an OS for phones didn't realize their naming makes it so hard to find on the internet. Maybe that is the point, even the OS project can't be tracked online, but on the other hand... it is kinda shooting its own foot to be able to grow

[@walking_on_earth]

Agree, I think they should consider renaming to Murena OS!

[@FancyNoises]

I guarantee you that Google & others have full-time employees whose job it is just to track the project.

[@ArcLyn]

Love to see someone else that thinks >6in phones are way too big, I was worried I was just a weirdo

[@duckrutt]

I'm not sure your choice in phone size can be used as the sole determining factor in your weirdo/not weirdo status. That's fine, I like small phones too. We can be weird together.

[@JamesQHolden]

@@duckrutt >6 means he likes big phones, unless i missed the context

[@crusadertwo239]

@@JamesQHolden i thinkt he commenters saying they thought they where weird for thinking 6+ inch phones are to big

[@nogoogle8531]

With the exception of using KZbin, I literally have NO need for Google, Apple, Microsoft, Facebook/Meta or any other crap. I use a degoogled phone to text, email, call, IT managing and occasionally web browse. I have a total of 7 apps on my phone and not a single one came from GooglePlayStore.

[@DANTHETUBEMAN]

I just got a new phone and want to unplug from the matrix

[@ss95248]

Its 100% usable and will save you a ton of battery, RAM, and storage space. The amount of overhead and privilege Google occupies on devices is incredible.

[@I_was_a_Bullfrog]

I've been tempted to degoogle my phones in the past, but there are too many things I'd lose out on, not to mention the books and movies I've bought through them. Hopefully one day we'll get a true competitor that highlights freedom and privacy.

[@adialbano5499]

In sweden everything works with a government authentication app and lineage alone made it unusable let alone /e/. Google, Microsoft and Apple have won. To get away from them is only a matter of how much convince you can let go

[@NJ-wb1cz]

Microg works just fine with google apps, it doesn't have to be an all or nothing approach

[@fred-youtube]

Download those books and movies to your computer, then you can degoogle

[@myszkoscielna7522]

There will be one to be aware of - EU supported rtos system but the privacy would be gone with the system..

[@adialbano5499]

@@fred-youtube that's the point. You always have to find an inconvenient work around

[@walking_on_earth]

A few months back I switched from my iPhone 12 to a Pixel 2 with e OS. From day one I didn't look back. It has been an awesome experience and I'm really glad to see they are continually making it easier to get a phone with e OS. Some feedback I have, I wish they would use gesture controls by default, it took me a while to figure out how to switch to that. I think three button controls are pretty antiquated at this point, but that's just my perspective. I also think they should just call it Murena OS, I like how e is kind of cheeky but I think they would be better off with a name that isn't a Google reference, and Murena is a much more pronounceable and searchable name as well.

[@walking_on_earth]

@Spender Hunchback battery life on the Pixel 2 with e OS is very good, considering the battery is five years old. It still lasts me until the evening every day. I'm not doing much power-hungry activities on my phone though so take that into account. WhatsApp works just fine for me.

[@NawidN]

What is the Google reference in "e"?

[@walking_on_earth]

@@NawidN It's an upside down "G" 😛

[@diazalbn]

I've been using huawei tablet for 2 months now ofc without GMS, i'm happy to say that everything still works fine, web based apps really helps

[@Bi0Dr01d]

Honestly, we as the public should be working together to make our own alternatives to Google, many of us already having software skills that can make compatible operating systems to this hardware, in the public can develop a joint community in making this, and that would mean that not only would our operating systems be more stable, but that they would be more advanced than Google's system, because the public are developing precisely the things consumers want rather than large corporations trying to milk the economy by only making micro changes and resetting devices to their full price points.

[@SecretFoxtail]

I just ordered a murena teracube 2e! I can't wait until it arrives 😊

[@FancyNoises]

I was just on the site looking at that but it's out of stock. Do you like it??

[@samhirsch4863]

Perfect combo for the worst case scenario!

[@stephen8617]

I've got the Moto g pure running Android 11. I love the idea of de Googleing my phone. This video was supper informative. Thank you for posting it.

[@ecologicaladam7262]

Thank goodness I've found your channel! The journey to extricate oneself from Google (and indeed Windows) is SO complicated... I have a Teracube from Murena on order and am seriously thinking of taking the Linux step - and am terrified... Ha ha

[@ecologicaladam7262]

Now that the Teracube has arrived I'm less than impressed with the apps available: there are 3 radio apps, one doesnt work, one is encrusted in ads and the third reports back to Google... really???! And no banking that I could see... I shall have to dig deeper.............???

[@MatrixMaverick1980]

@@ecologicaladam7262 I’m surprise it is so crippled.

[@samhirsch4863]

Oh yes, the perfect combo: teracube with its perfectly terrible hardware and /e/ that looks like a poorly rebranded LOS

[@maxxiong]

TBh I don't actually care much about this whole Google stuff. I switched to Linux because of practical reasons. That being said, there is a need right now for ROMs that remove restrictions that are being put on Android (eg. an Android 12 where Android/data is not protected). There has been a different issue recently though, where some apps would require safetynet attestation to install without good reason (piracy is not a reason because doing so only encourages piracy).

[@enkiimuto1041]

I wish fairphone would sell where I live, whenever I see reviews on it the cons are first world problems =/

[@rustylarry7465]

Just buy a decently spec/flagship killer second hand or a second hand google pixel. Fairphones are just bad value personally, especially with the fairphone 5 now which Linus tech tips have covered.

[@bigl9527]

"6.3 inches is too big, FOR A PHONE" Ok, that got me right there 🤣

[@DANTHETUBEMAN]

4.5 is still average,, right? 🤔

[@bigl9527]

@@DANTHETUBEMAN yes, I like phone with smaller screen like iphone 5 or 6 used to be

[@matthewblott]

Try CalyxOS, I've been using it for a few months with few problems. It's very stable and well supported (and a lot safer than e/os which doesn't have a locked bootloader).

[@samhirsch4863]

if only the locked bootloader was the only reason for its poor security....

[@jan_harald]

DON'T FORGET THE GSI you can use it even if your phone is NOT listed as supported, by using the GSI! GSI (generic system image) works on all phones (with unlocked bootloaders of course), that shipped with android 8.0 or later, utilizing the a/b partitioning and stuff, since all the drivers are in the "system" image, independent of the OS, with a common API, the only problem is updating those drivers...but the OS itself can update anytime! it's incredible step to allow more OSs, since even if you have a not-popular-with-modders phone, you can get a custom OS, without having to manually figure out where the drivers are and how to port them over, etc...

[@Crybyte]

Pretty cool, looking into GSI I found out that UBPorts has their own definition of GSI. Man, I'm probably way in over my head, but it'd be cool to get ubuntu touch running on my old android phone.

[@JeffreyJohnsonC]

Pretty good review, but you left out a couple important things. What would you use for navigation and maps? Does Android Auto work, or is there a replacement for that? Might not be important to a few people, but pretty much everyone i know uses Google Maps or Waze.

[@lojobambam2]

When I was a kid I had a super off brand tablet that ran Android 4.x but it had no Google Play Store or any other Google Services and the only way to get apps was to download APK files and that was actually how I figured out what APK files are. The Tablet was white and had a sunken in screen like it had borders that kind of blocked you from breaking the screen if you dropped it.

[@VioletClaw816]

I don't know what to say but the de Google or Apple thing just make life harder. On any privacy track free OSs, configurations are crazy. Not everyone knows configurations, most of the users want phones working right out of the box with daily usable apps(Gmail, outlook, back apps), I don't want to use browser to do that. Some Linux phones are even struggling to send MMS. My blackberry passport works even better than that. Just my two-cents. I have used Sailfish OS, Drodian, Ubuntu Touch(no VoLTE), so far only Sailfish OS can be used normally.

[@spiral5799]

thank you for making this video :) thank you for keeping this discussion going

[@spiral5799]

I have a Lenovo Yoga 7i 16gb i7 that dual boots win11 and Ubuntu :)... Do you have a video going over your setup? What phone do you use every day? 😊

[@RoninGraphics]

Hello , have you tried Calyx Os ? I think it’s the better for now , I hope you can make a review about it

[@ahmet05ac]

i wish we were able to install linux on any android based phone. gnome mobile looks amazing

[@walking_on_earth]

Maybe 2023 will be the year of the Linux phone 😛

[@ahmet05ac]

@@walking_on_earth i wish :)

[@ArthurReming]

As a huawei user, i see this as an absolute win

[@alessandromauri93]

"make smaller phones, you cowards!" That's the best point ever!🤠 I wanted to try it, but due to my job I needed a rugged phone, maybe I will give it a try next time I will change

[@fred-youtube]

You can buy a case for the Fairphone

[@alessandromauri93]

@Jack Halem well, my solution was to buy a large rugged phone 😅 It's a deal... Not the best solution due to the SOC I have, but I can't stand it 🤣 Still I can't believe in my dreams phone 🤣

[@shotika9197]

I have just flashed /e/ os onto a Xperia Z2 and so far I really like it! Thanks for the video!

[@pneu79]

Great review of e/os and what the options here are. Great video, love your work!

[@kalelalves]

Worst that being unsafe, is believing that you're safe while you're just a tiny bit less unsafe.

[@El.Duder-ino]

Finally an Android ROM worth considering besides Graphene OS, thank you for highlighting it!

[@CrisEdmundson]

Like others, I love everything about this except the ui. Definitely feels like a knockoff, and android has phenomenal ui design for the most part these days. Honestly really bummed it'd be so much work to get all these features with compelling ui styling I'd really love to keep seeing reviews of alternative phone Roms on this channel, they're super helpful to my journey to remove google from my life just like you. I'm currently thinking LineageOS with micro g, and information on how the different private Roms compare in terms of de-googleing and privacy would be really awesome. Also excited to see a fairphone review, I really hope they release it in the USA at some point in the future

[@bsabella]

I don't know... I was one of the guys who switched to Google when they started and I heavily relay on their ecosystem in my personal life and my job since then... I've already switch to open source for most of my software and I'm planning to use linux, so my phone can wait... Also, I'm still gaining more than I'm loosing in their ecosystem (personally)... I'm not happy with how they bank on their monopoly but I still need a solid alternative to switch... But hey, more than willing to learn something new ;P

[@thanius]

This is what I've been waiting for! Both E OS and Fairphone! Also, és de Portugal ou Brazil?

[@TheLinuxEXP]

De Francia :)

[@laurentrondeau3431]

Thank you for those videos! Always neat and to the point!

[@ugh.idontwanna]

Thank you for the review. Looks like the rom is coming along nicely. This is my next phone (unless my current phone lasts until FairPhone 5 comes out).

[@jayaxe7418]

Do I get extra points that I watched this ON a /e/os phone? :D I recently installed the new version on a new phone so this fits quite well. Great video btw, glad somebody (and especially you ) are covering stuff like this :)

[@TheLinuxEXP]

Nice!

[@walking_on_earth]

/e/ gang!

[@jmy5497]

Kiitos!

[@janithcooray5546]

this "DE-GOOGLE" term is very misleading, AOSP (the REAL stock android) doesn’t come with anything google to begin with. most people think pixels come with stock android, NO - thats not stock android. Pixels come with android thats bloated with Google. BTW, you don’t really need "EOS" to be out of google. most AOSP ROMS, even lineage dont have Gapps included.

[@satyamevajayate7263]

No,even Stock android does. Because you can’t start the phone without login with your mail or any mail. It is communicating with your cell tower. You can side load apps but that’s a big no no since it could be a malware. There is one OS called Graphene OS which pure android with only open source part. It only works on pixel phones.

[@thepinktreeclub]

​@@satyamevajayate7263wrong.

[@DrkSnydr89]

@@thepinktreeclubhow do?

[@neilcoelho]

I did this a few years ago, life was a pain back then.

[@maryt.8043]

Your channel is just amazing dammit, you have inspired me in my open source journey!

[@TheLinuxEXP]

Thanks ;)

[@burning_KFC]

As always writing a comment to support the channel

[@Rob337_aka_CancelProof]

You won't often hardly ever hear me say the government needs to do something about anything but this is one of those exceptions and I think the government needs to step in and legislate (since they don't do their job for anything else) mandates on cross-compatibility between manufacturers with standardized norms and the fully upgradable and modular so that everything doesn't comply with the manufacturer's preferences for designed obsolescence and proprietary incompatibility so that consumers decide what they are able to do with things that they bought and paid for once it becomes theirs and I'm talking about hardware and software unlocking bootloaders rooting removing bloatware choosing system apps and the works. When technology becomes so integrated in our lives that when your phone is in the other room you feel as if you're missing an arm these things become a lot more important to all of this as Unique Individuals where no two are alike

[@cubeover]

I wonder what you think of Razer Phone 2? 5.7" 120Hz Igzo with WQHD (2K) screen, excellent stereo speakers and decent Sony camera sensors. There is e/OS for that.

[@lb7068]

I would love to get a degoogled phone but not understanding a word of tech jargon leaves me completely lost as to how I can make the switch. Unfortunately, this video didn't help me understand any better as I hoped it would. Is there any place one can go who is utterly tech illiterate to gain understanding so we can benefit from these products??? Any help would be appreciated as my phone is about to lose the screen so I need a new one ASAP!!

[@TheLazyJAK]

How does this compare to Calyx OS?

[@CosmicCitiZenOfficial]

If the developers could fix the cons then I think this project could compete with other smartphone in future

[@alexandreduarte6533]

no shit

[@hank9th]

Looks like Murena is selling refurbished Pixel 5 phones with /e/OS out of the box. Would love to see you cover that -- seems like it checks all the boxes (small-ish, de-googled, 90Hz display).

[@anonsforever_]

This is old news. I am using a Linux based kernal right now on my moto phone and I got rid of Google 100% back when android 5 was popular. Every google file wiped. Not a single google app. Only a couple APK's which ran just fine without connectivity to google. I even blocked the google ads from the apps and everything. Google probably thinks my phone is in the land fill by now.

[@bjornroesbeke]

The IP spoofing, alternative app store, and tracker blocking features are nice to have, but how do they work in the background? 1. Using a unknown 3rd party service? 2. The same Google Play app just reskinned? 3. Routing traffic via unknown servers?

[@therealwolfspidertoo]

Thank you for all this great information

[@cyclesingsleep]

Excellent Review!!! The only thing that I am now trying to figure out is, "How do I backup my sms/text messages on my android phone, then load the /e/OS, then reload my sms/text messages?". So far, I have not been able to find this anywhere. I work in rugged, outdoor environments and therefore need a phone with a rugged, water/dust/shock-proof case and I do not see anyone making a case for the /e/OS phone. So, until such a case is made, I think that my only option is to keep my Samsung Note 9 with it's case, and load /e/OS onto it.

[@johnsonnguyen1374]

Tyvm for the vid, I am still waiting for my model to work OP9

[@bjoernschumacher5852]

I updated 2 phones to 1.0, and I'm quite happy. Still have 2-3 lying around that are compatible :)

[@TheLinuxEXP]

Nice!

[@apogeotropism1714]

If you’re looking for privacy and you’re gonna buy a new phone anyways… Go for the Google Pixel and flash either Graphene OS, or, Calyx OS. Graphene OS has amazing security features in place to prevent all kinds of attacks. And from what I’ve heard, Calyx OS is supposed to be even more secure. Might want to do some research on that for yourself. I plan on getting the Google Pixel 7 pro, myself. I love the fact that they have two CPU’s inside of them… Graphene OS takes advantage of this and installs its security on one of the CPU’s. And then, everytime you turn the phone on or off, the boot loader basically cross references the two CPU’s to make sure that nothing has changed. This prevents all kinds of malware, spyware, keyloggers, etc. The phone will notify you if there have been any contaminations.

[@shawnchalfant1595]

I did it for a week, can't do it anymore. Something just feels off about the whole E project rom. Lineage is my go-to.

[@swaghigi1266]

The pixel 5 looks like its supported and its pretty small with a 90 hertz screen, i wonder why you dont use that one? 15:30

[@KevinBevan]

Surely you can still use some Google services by going through the browser? Same for Microsoft Live etc

[@scosal7100]

Would you say this is better than lineage OS / micro G / LS posed?

[@metal-toilet7999]

It looked like the phone was not registering your taps and swipes very well. Is that true? Also if are willing i'm kinda curious about why your sponsor changed from slimbook to tuxedo. If you are able to (sometimes there's weird legal things with sponsors) could you tell me why. Keep up the AMAZING work Nick! You Rock!

[@TheLinuxEXP]

It's tough to tap when you have a huge camera between you and the phone, but the fairphone definitely isn't super reactive! It was just time to switch sponsors, ni drama or anything :)

[@ShellSecrets]

Woh! Is it a coincidence or what? the older video about /e/ (The Ultimate DEGOOGLED ANDROID ROM) was too sponsored by safing (portmaster)

[@Linkachus17]

o wait I immediately have a question at the beginning of the video What do you use if you don't use GMail? + are you using non-Google account for tht or smthing. I've been thinking like that few days ago

[@TheLinuxEXP]

I use my own email :)

[@byronmahoney6403]

Very well pleased with eOS V1.0 running on a Galaxy S9 (still way too large... for a phone - haha!) Oh wow sounds like from your report they may have sorted out banking apps etc now(?) x

[@dcard228]

On Fairphone, they're already starting to fall into the same patterns as other phone manufacturers and that's pretty against their original mission statement

[@CMDRSweeper]

Nice highlight, it may be that the Fairphone is my next go to device. 5 year warranty, well that is nice as I will have to import it regardless, but the alluring thing is the lack of glue and replaceable battery as well as easy access to the bootloader and less analness regarding the software. I was expecting to make a sacrifice regarding the camera on the phone, but it is nice to see that isn't the case either, only sacrifice I will have to accept is the loss of my pen on Note 9 and the ease of scribbling notes on the screen with it. But that pen isn't worth a dead expensive device because of the battery so there is that.

[@skug978]

Not long ago, I dropped my LineageOS primary phone on the floor, and the screen stopped working. The specific model I own is the LG G5 which is easy to take apart, with a removable battery. I bought a new replacement screen on Ebay, and that was cheap. I replaced the screen myself (unscrewing all the parts) with ease because the phone is not glued together. It is running LineageOS 18 = Android 11 without the spying Google proprietary bits. I really like the idea of the Fairphone 4, but I managed to achieve a similar result by my careful hardware choice. I'd advise any tech purchasers to consider repairability as well as protecting their privacy when choosing devices.

[@jbritain]

The accent colour and icon chooser are features of AOSP 11, so pretty much any 11 based ROM has it.

[@PiiskaJesusFreak]

Wow, I'll have to try e/os. And maybe fairphone too. Thanks a lot for the reviews!

[@InoriMaster11]

Google made android. KZbinrs: let's remove Google apps from Android.

[@moaa042]

I was thinking about getting graphene OS but I like the phone selection of /e/os a lot better. Is MicroG as secure as the sandboxed google play services that graphene uses? I basically just don't want google spying on my location all the time.

[@AQDuck]

I'm going to reflash my Oneplus 6T very soon since OnePlus no longer suports it (even security updates), but my country pretty much requires some apps that have a history of being wonky without google services.

[@walking_on_earth]

Damn that sucks that Google has wormed their way into countries' digital infrastructure like that ☹️

[@bobmcbob4399]

@@walking_on_earth too right!

[@vedaryan334]

There's an open source app called warden that does a lot of tracker features that Eos has built in , for anyone not using eos

[@stratos2]

The Asus Zenfone 8 is my daily driver, a small phone with a high refreshrate oled, basically the smallest new android phone one can get these days. And it is on the supported list of murea / /e/OS. Sounds like it would be perfect for you.

[@motoryzen]

11:35 to 11:46 I'm curious. Does that DIP aka drop visual part of the camera get in the way of watching movies on that phone? Or does it blend away...evenly like it appeared to have at around the 11:45 mark.

[@TheLinuxEXP]

It's hidden when playing movies :)

[@dimitridev9126]

Thank you very much !

[@badwolf6690]

perfect timing ! was gonna get myself a fairphone 4 and wanted to flash a de-googlised OS on it

[@Beryesa.]

Pinephone 4 (not real) or Fairphone 4? 😅

[@badwolf6690]

@@Beryesa. lol i'm kinda dumb indeed

[@ent2220]

My only thing with uninstalling all google services would be the Maps app. I use my phone's Google Maps somewhat often. Is there a solution for that? Like an app that uses google maps but hides you - basically one IP / account whatever providing maps service to many many users using it.

[@TheLinuxEXP]

You can install Google Maps, but then it's going to track you :/

[@skug978]

There are numerous decent alternatives - I use Organic Maps which has offline feature and works well for driving too. (Available on Play Store or F-Droid). Others include OpenMultiMaps, OpenTrail, OfflineMaps.

[@ent2220]

@@skug978 ok thx

[@disnaut4935]

The only part that is a bummer regarding the FairPhone is that they don't sell it in the US. I wish I could get something like that.

[@GraveUypo]

I'm de-googling too. good to see this

[@A0D0D7Y]

The truth has been spoken at 11:45

[@ColonelNamek]

Using Android without Google has always been usable 100% LineageOS and AOSPA without gapps has existed for years now..

[@InvetorXD]

can you make a comparison video of /e/ os with CalyxOS, granpheneOS and others?

[@schemage2210]

Interestiing, if I can find a phone lying around that is semi-modern and compatible, might give this a shot. Am eager to ditch the google andriod shackles.

[@Ellipsis115]

2:08 note to self to mkae all my names searchable or purposefully unsearchable lol

[@ZorgFS]

cool, thanks for that! Interesting firmware, will try it on my Xiaomi next Wednesday, when Xiaomi will finally ALLOW me to unlock MY OWN freaking phone (random time from 72 to 1440 hours) that's insane... mine timer today was 7 days...

[@তুহিন_জানা]

5 inch is the perfect screen size for single hand operations with smol hands

[@vincentcleaver1925]

Do you have an episode about the Google alternatives you implied early in the episode?

[@little_forest]

So the FP4 you got had the e os based on android 11? Mine is still based on 10. I guess I would need to flash my FP3 to get e os with the most recent android version.

[@TheLinuxEXP]

Yeah that's the one they sent me! I think they now handle Android version upgrades, so maybe they don't have an Android 11 version for the FP3 yet?

[@little_forest]

@@TheLinuxEXP Yeah, I have to check that, thanks. Edit: Both versions (Q and R) seem to be supported by the FP3. However, R only the dev version and Q the stable version. So it seems reasonable that they have not upgraded yet on the FP3, but I could try myself, if I wanted.

[@finnk1289]

The Fairphone 4 is almost *worse* then the 3. It's larger, lost the headphone jack, and didn't add built-in protection. What's sustainable about selling a separate case and wireless earbuds?