With its approach resolutely focused on the protection of personal data, the Murena 2 intends to stand out in the saturated smartphone landscape.
The smartphone market is saturated with devices that, while running Android, rely heavily on Google services. Some would like to be able to integrate Google services, others assume they can do without them.
The Murena 2, launched by the e Foundation more than a year after the Murena One, stands out by offering an Android experience purged of anything Google.
A privacy-oriented alternative
The main issue of Murena 2 is the protection of the user’s privacy. This smartphone has a dedicated button to deactivate cameras and microphones to protect against malicious eavesdropping or surveillance. A second switch, red, activates airplane mode and mutes all notifications.
The Murena 2 works with /e/ OS, an operating system based on Android but independent of Google services. This feature offers the user the possibility of hiding their IP address and passing all their traffic through a VPN. In addition, it is possible to monitor application tracking and install Android applications without going through the Play Store.
The Murena Cloud completes this offer with 1 GB of free storage, and secure messaging and calendar applications.
Technical characteristics of the Murena 2
On the hardware side, the Murena 2 has an octa-core processor clocked up to 2.1 GHz, supported by 8 GB of RAM and 128 GB of storage, expandable via microSD. The AMOLED screen displays a definition of 1080p+ on a diagonal of 6.43 inches. On the photography side, we find a 64 MP main sensor, a 13 MP ultra-wide-angle, a 5 MP module and a 25 MP front sensor. Finally, the 4,000 mAh battery charges via USB-C, with a maximum power of 18 watts.
The Murena 2, offered at 399 euros on Kickstarter. We advise you to wait for the official release of the smartphone to acquire it at a slightly higher price, but with the certainty of a successful and reliable product.
In addition, it is a smartphone aimed at an informed audience. Indeed, the absence of Google services can lead to installing APK files retrieved from the web, a risky practice in terms of security.
What is /e/?
/e/ is an open source operating system based on Android
with its own services, created by the French software developer and founder of the Linux distribution Mandrake (which was later renamed Mandriva): Gaël Duval. This OS has been available for several years. You can install /e/ on smartphones as alternative ROMs, most popular smartphone models are compatible for the most part.
Most of the services usually offered by Google have alternatives on the OS /e/. For example, the mapping application is a fork of Magic Earth 13 that uses map data from the OpenStreetMap project. The Mail client is also a fork of K-9 Mail, a famous email client. There is also an app store and many other native applications.