/ e / OS V1, all about Murina’s mobile interface (/ e / Foundation)

In 2018, Gaël Duval developed an operating system based on Google services. 4 years later, the OS is out of beta to release V1, which emphasizes the control of privacy and personal data.

/ e / OS, what is it?

/ e / OS is a French alternative operating system developed by Gaël Duval. Its first version comes from 2018, so it is very recent. This system Open source Based on Android, but Google does not integrate mobile services – the popular GMS, Huawei has been without for 3 years now. / E /’s mission is to provide an OS that respects privacy, i.e. does not embed any tracker like Android or iOS. / e / OS was created by a non-profit organization and is not comparable to GAFAM, so there is no profit in collecting your personal data.

There are many ways to access / e / OS on a smartphone. Buy mobile Murrena – The range of smartphones with this operating system by default. Some of them are and the / e / Foundation is a partner of manufacturers such as Samsung or Fairphone. However, if you are connected to another terminal, you can install the OS manually using an installer – but some models are compatible – or by downloading the package. In the spring of 2022, the operating system will be based on Android 11 and finally sign off on its release from beta, which marks the arrival of / e / OS V1.

In the main lines

The operating system is / e / “deGoogled”. So it does not integrate GMS, and even if it is based on Android, Google will not interfere with the phone. As a result, / e / OS offers its own applications as an alternative to Mountain View. Of those, Google does not, by default, provide an application store, navigation application, or even a browser. For geolocation services, go through / e / Mozilla. The Foundation’s report states: “Keeping your data private does not mean leaving your digital”. In fact, if / e / OS accepts its own Shop, The latter still allows you to download your favorite applications. There is a good portion of what can be found in the Play Store, and sometimes you have to search well to find the app. For example, when typing a name in the search bar, “Facebook” does not appear in the list; By typing “meta”, the social networking application will appear, but not in the first results, after all, after Messenger (Meta’s messenger). So it would be tricky, but Google should recognize that / e / OS provides access to a good number of applications and is complete without it.

What / e / OS v1 provides

• As a good protector of privacy, the operating system allows you to monitor all data collected by third parties, especially on its alternative portal called App Lounge. The store offers 10 privacy ratings for each app, which will automatically calculate the permissions and trackers found within the title. Below this note, an explanation under the heading “Privacy Analyzes” allows you to see the permissions required for the application and the various trackers hidden there.

• If Murina’s preference is to provide almost the same Android experience without all its inconveniences, the result may not be right. In fact, going through Mozilla is a bit more capricious than using GMS. The same goes for the App Lounge, which offers a good portion of the apps from the Play Store, but its (for some) compatibility is a bit risky. Small things when taken separately, but when they are put together, they quickly become overwhelming.

• The photo app runs even slower. What we found during testing of the OS on the Redmi Note 8T unfortunately still applies today. The trigger also takes time to act like a button to change the optics. Also, the screen will appear blurry and of very low quality. Fortunately that is not the case once you take a photo and look at it.

If you are a regular user of / e / OS and would like to contribute to this article, please do not hesitate to contact us in the comments to provide tips, clarifications or corrections.