Privacy is in everyone’s mind these days – even Google’s. Android 13 is built from the ground up, with a focus on privacy and security above all else, but if that’s not enough for you, you’ll have to look elsewhere. Murena has been around for a few years now and offers a custom operating system for devices like Fairphone 4, but today it’s finally time for the company to unveil its own hardware.
The Murena One is not a flagship phone designed to compete with the world’s Pixels and Galaxy S22s – it’s even unlikely that it will compete with Google’s upcoming Pixel 6a. Instead, Murena brings a privacy-focused mindset to a budget-friendly device that, while certainly not the most powerful on the market, seems to attract a niche audience. Priced at $ 379, it is not exactly capable of breaking the bank, which can make it an exciting secondary device for some users.
Not that you get a flagship phone for that money. As reported by The Verge, the Murena One has a 6.5 “1080p LCD screen, 128GB of storage, 4GB of RAM and is powered by Mediatek’s Helio P60 octa-core processor. It’s not too impressive, and is perhaps a missed opportunity to grab yet more attention by offering a smaller size that can be used in the pocket.The back of the phone has three cameras, including a 48 MP wide-angle lens, along with a 25 MP front-facing sensor for selfies.How boring it may sound, it includes a microSD card slot and a 3.5 mm headphone jack.
The real appeal of Murena One lies in its software, especially if you are a fan of Android but does not Google. With / e / OS, the company has replaced all aspects of the phone to remove Google’s software. It’s got a new browser, a new messaging app, replacements for all the Workspace apps you depend on, and a custom-built music player. Murena is also working on Elivia, an Assistant clone that should activate voice commands in the future. It’s all rolled up in a custom skin that – to be honest – looks like iOS.
That said, this is still Android and it’s still running Android apps. Murena has built an app directory designed to offer all your favorite software, complete with a custom privacy score provided by the company. You can even find Google apps in the “App Lounge”, which unfortunately requires a Google account login to download much of the available software. To compensate for the inclusion here, Murena does not show your identity when you download apps and use microG to replace Google Play services and other necessary libraries. From practical reports, it does not sound like a perfect solution – neither private enough to satisfy those who need a break from Google, nor to offer an easy way to get apps for those who want their favorite services.
Unfortunately, it is not the only potential dealbreaker. The latest version of / e / OS is based on a LineageOS build, which is based on Android 10 – as in the version that Google sent almost three years ago. And although LineageOS has since upgraded to newer versions, it is unclear when / e / OS will follow suit.
For now, the Murena One is likely to remain a niche phone, not the type of gadget capable of completely revolutionizing the industry. It will be available in June in the US, Canada, Europe, the UK and Switzerland. You can sign up for the waiting list now to be alerted when stock is ready.
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