In June, the Murena One will be available in Europe – an Android smartphone that is said to work completely without Google services. Promising concept or pure idealism? It is already clear that the Google detox is not that easy. An analysis by Anna Schmid
A job interview in a city you hardly know? No problem, there is Google Maps. Quickly share a few documents with work colleagues? No problem, there is Google Drive. Just checking the name of the restaurant that opened next door? No problem, there is Google Chrome.
For many Android users, Google services are an integral part of everyday life. Not only because they are practical, but also because they come pre-installed on most Android smartphones. But there is another way. Years ago, the Murena company decided to create an easy-to-use but Google-free variant of Android.
Those responsible have succeeded. And there’s more: soon the so-called “Murena One” will appear, a smartphone equipped with the Google-free software /e/OS 1.0. According to reports, the device should be available in Europe as early as mid-June, but also in Great Britain, Switzerland or the USA and Canada.
The cell phone, which has a Mediatek Helio P60 processor and a 6.53-inch IPS screen with a resolution of 2,242 x 1,080 pixels, costs 349 euros. The main memory is 4 gigabytes, the built-in flash memory is 128 gigabytes. The cell phone has a triple camera installed, the main camera has 48 megapixels, the front camera 25 megapixels. Google applications: none.
Murena One: A blow against the data octopus Google?
Only: Can an Android smartphone really be successful without Google services? The computer science professor Kai Rannenberg says in an interview with CHIP: “Yes, it can – for a target group that is concerned about the collection of data by Google and for whom it is too complicated to understand how and which data Google collects in detail .”
Because one thing is clear: Anyone who uses an Android cell phone with Google services must assume that information about them will be collected. Locations, search history or the frequency with which individual apps are used are just a few examples. In addition, Google collects data about the device used, its operating system and the IP address of the user.
“Anyone who wants transparency and stable guarantees about what they get for which investment in data may feel better served,” says Rannenberg. He knows what he’s talking about: The computer scientist works at the Goethe University in Frankfurt and has been a member of the “Permanent Group of Stakeholders of the European Network and Information Security Agency” since 2015.
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With the Murena One, there is a crucial misconception
Rannenberg’s areas of focus include data protection and IT security. Things that play a big role in the Murena One. According to the official announcement, the smartphone should be equipped with browser, message and camera apps that do not log user behavior. Installations from third-party sources are also possible using a dedicated tool called App Lounge. Users are then informed whether trackers are included, and if so, which ones.
Murena has been working on Android smartphones that do not require Google services for years. Founder Gael Duval wrote in 2017: “I need something that I can also recommend to my parents or children. Something that is appealing and ensures privacy.” He did that with the Murena One – at least partially. Because the complete Google detox is not that easy.
A closer look at the Murena One shows this. Journalists from the technology portal “The Verge” stated: “The App Lounge is not the Playstore – but in principle it is the Playstore.” This may sound strange at first, but it is easy to explain. Because the App Lounge contains many applications that come from the Google Play Store. Users can adjust the settings so that only open source apps or progressive web apps are displayed to them. According to “The Verge”, this limits the selection extremely.
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“Maybe the Murena One is also safer”
And there is another problem. The “Advanced Privacy” option allows users to hide their location. As “The Verge” reports, this not only leads to difficulties when using weather and map apps. Even applications like Netflix don’t seem to work properly as long as the protection is activated.
Rannenberg believes that the Murena One could be something for people “who buy smartphones for their children or parents and want to limit the dangers”. He sees “everyone who is satisfied with a transparently defined set of functions – such as ‘classic feature phone + navigation'” as the target group.
According to the computer science professor, the Murena One could also be advantageous in terms of security. “Possibly it’s more secure than current Android smartphones because it evades mainstream Android attacks depending on how /e/OS differs from Android.” However, Rannenberg points out that /e/OS supports many Android apps, “so at least some interfaces will be the same or similar”.
In the end, it must be clear that although Murena strives for data protection, these efforts reach their limits. Even Murena users cannot avoid the Google Play Store completely, unless they are satisfied with a very limited range of apps. Ultimately, Google is probably too deeply rooted in our digital lives for Android users to be able to do without it completely.
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