The developers behind the / e / OS operating system have been around for some time. In the last five years, you’ve been able to use the software on a few commercially available Android phones like the Galaxy, and even buy them with the software already installed if you weren’t ready to do it yourself.
But now the e Foundation has its own phone Lamprey One. I’ve been using it for a few weeks and I have to say this is all I love about Android in one package.
It’s probably not a phone for everyone or even most people. But it’s proof of why open source software (like many Androids) is cool and how you can have a smartphone that respects your privacy.
This is not a regular review because this is not just an ordinary Android phone. This is something different for a phone that is different.
Murena One: Phone hardware
This is not a phone for spec addicts. It doesn’t even pretend to be that phone. It is a phone with modest hardware and an equally modest price of $ 379.
It’s small for an Android phone that comes 6 inches high and 3 inches wide and has a 6.53-inch LCD on the front. Here are the full specifications.
| Category | Lamprey One | |
|---|---|---|
| Operation system | / e / OS 1.0 (based on Android 10) | |
| Display | 6.53-inch LCD | |
| 2242 x 1080 pixels | ||
| Chipset | MediaTek Helio P60 | |
| working memory | 4 GB | |
| Storage | 128 GB | |
| MicroSD support | ✅ | |
| Rear camera 1 | 48 megapixels, f / 1.8 | |
| Rear camera 2 | 8 megapixels, f / 2.0 | |
| Front camera | 25 megapixels, f / 2.0 | |
| Connectivity | Support for Wi-Fi 5, Bluetooth 4.2, NFC, 3G and 4G worldwide | |
| Battery | 4,500 mAh | |
| Dimensions | 161.8 x 76.9 x 8.9 mm | |
| Weight | 186 grams | |
| Price | $ 379 |
The phone is unlocked by an operator and has dual-SIM support (or an SD card slot, select one), but does not offer 5G connectivity. I used it on T-Mobile here in the US and it connects like any other LTE phone I’ve used.
On the side you will find a fingerprint reader as we have seen on other phones and it works well. It’s a capacitive sensor so it’s not subject to the problems a screen reader has, which was a nice change.
The cameras are OK, but no reason to get excited. In fact, it’s a great way to describe the hardware package as a whole: it’s okay. It works well, but it lacks many of the Whiz-bag features offered by many other phones, but there’s not much to complain about for the price.
But the hardware is not what makes this phone special – it would be the software.
Murena One: Software
I fell into the same trap I saw a few others fall into when talking about any phone running on / e / OS 1.0 – I tried to put Google’s stuff back on it.
It is worth noting that you can still do this. With support for microG project, a scaled-down version of Google’s proprietary Android plug-ins, you can have apps like Gmail, Google Photos, or Maps that work through the Applab Store. It mostly works, and you’ll find almost every app you’d find in the actual Google Play store.
But if you do, just know that you will still have a better experience buying an “ordinary” Android phone. I decided to delete the device, throw out all the words I had written, and start over with what I had compared to trying to add more Google to “regular” Android.
I’m really glad I did. This allowed me to focus on all the things that the e Foundation gets properly, while I knew that the things that were missing were only quickly installed if I needed them. Spoiler warning: I didn’t.
The phone comes with all the basics installed: web browser, email client, calendar, maps, text messenger and everything else. Many other apps, such as Signal (my favorite messenger client), are easily accessible through the phone’s built-in phonebook. Of course, you also get access to third-party app stores like F-Droid if so you want to get your applications.
Just because there’s no built-in Google doesn’t mean you don’t have access to a robust set of cloud services. Each device comes with a Murena cloud account that provides an email address, backup space, cloud connectivity for your calendar, contacts, documents and essentials, as well as 1GB of private storage for everything else.
The biggest difference between the Murene One and all other commercially available Android phones is within the settings app. There, you’ll find all the information you should ever know about how apps can access your data, how they can track you, and even how you can provide a fake location for annoying apps that require it.
You’ll never find this with any phone that uses Google’s services out of the box. I imagine most of this is a direct violation of the GMS agreement between Google and the phone maker that allows the latter to turn on all Google-y bits without paying. This is also a very good thing that should be on every Android phone.
That’s what Android is. The right choice.
In the end, that’s what Android is all about, free and open parts anyway. A company like e Foundation can take what exists (although it is / e / OS fork LineageOS, which is a branch of AOSP, the point still stands) and make a really good smartphone with it, and omit Google from the picture.
Phones sold for the Chinese market have been doing this for years so it’s great to see that it’s done for the West and without any government interference.
Is Murena One for you?
The experience is almost the same as any other A mid-range Android phone for me. I’m not a big type for apps so everything I wanted was available and I found that the default e Foundation services work pretty well.
The difference is that I was able to do all of this without Google following me while I was doing it. It’s a double-edged sword because some of the things Google does that I like rely on tracking, like with Assistant. But I could have lived without it if I hadn’t already embarked on it.
This is where our paths probably diverge. Most people want an Android phone because of everything Google adds. Look no further than the collapse of Huawei if you need additional proof.
Most people will also not visit the F-Droid repo and install the microG service package, which means there is no support for anything from Google. And that’s fine.
Some people just want to buy best phone and enjoy it without worrying that Google will know which apps you’re using or keep track of the things you’re looking for. As mentioned, the advantage of Google knowing things like buying plane tickets to Hawaii means you get access to reminders, boarding passes, and anything else that makes traveling easier.
But if you use your smartphone as just another tool and don’t squeeze it as much as it’s worth, this phone might be for you. Even if you want to fill it with games and apps and worry about Google following you, this may be the phone for you.
Lamprey One
Murena One is the first phone from the e Foundation and runs an excellent / e / OS without Google. It’s a great phone for anyone who wants less Google in life.
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