Almost all smartphones lock you in expensive, pretty jails. They look great, but you can’t fix them, and they’re watching your every move. But now there’s Fairphone 3, which lets you patch your hardware, combined with privacy — the first Android / e / OS operating system. Apart from being repairable by any handy individual, Fairphone uses ethically sourced products and is designed by well-paid workers, other smartphones, such as the Apple iPhone, are built by poorly paid temporary workers. Android-based / e / OS and smartphones put privacy first. This is focused on LineageOS. This is an Android-based operating system that is coming down from the unfinished Android CyanogenMod fork. This build also incorporates features from the Android Open Source Project (AOSP) 7, 8 and 9 source-code trees. In / e / OS, all Google services have been removed and replaced with MicroG services. MicroG replaces Google’s libraries with solely open-source applications that are not related to Google’s services. This includes libraries and apps that include Google Play, Maps, Geolocation, and Messaging services for Android applications when needed. Put them together, and you’ll get the first privacy-conscious, sustainable smartphone. This pairing is coming from the Fairview culture. They were asked what their favorite alternative OS was for Fairphone 3 and voted for / e / OS. Being ethical and putting privacy first ensures that the final product isn’t as shiny as its rivals Apple and Samsung are. A recent analysis of ZDNet considered Fairphone 3 to be a lump-sum beast. It comes with just 4 GB of RAM and a 632 Qualcomm Snapdragon chipset. It also includes a single 12-megapixel rear camera and an 8-megapixel front camera. It’s all powered by a 3,000mAh battery. The Fairphone 3 also has a 5.65-inch LCD inside a wide bezel case. It supports dual SIM and has a slot for the MicroSD card. You’re likely to need the MicroSD slot for more storage as it only comes with 64 GB of internal storage. In short, if you’re searching for top-of-the-line equipment, look somewhere else. At the other hand, you should take this phone apart — it comes with its own screwdriver to repair it on your own. The iFixit considers the FairPhone 3 to be the most easily fixed smartphone in the world. The open-source operating system may be Android, but without the full functionality of Google, it has a different feel. The / e / platform also comes with its own facilities. For example, its search program uses, not Google, but Qwant, a popular, privacy-first European search engine. Instead of Google Drive for cloud storage, you get / e / a cloud based on the NextCloud open source. That said, many, but not all, of the regular Android apps run on / e/. It’s got its own app store with compatible apps. With its privacy-first orientation, when you look at the software in the store, you can see the privacy settings of each application and what information it’s sharing. It’s up to you to determine if the value of the app is worth sacrificing its privacy. A lot of popular Android apps operate with this Google-free operating system. For example, Facebook installs and runs on / e / completely. Of course, Facebook has its own privacy issues. Eva Gouwens, CEO of Fairphone, likes this deal: “Our partnership with / e / OS is exciting because we both strive to change the way the technology industry operates in our own way. We’re happy to provide Fairphone users with phones that are not only sustainable but that also take special care to protect their personal data.” In a statement, Gaël Duval,/e / OS founder added: “Since the inception of /e/OS, we realized that many of our users were not only concerned about their data privacy and willing to reconquer their digital sovereignty, they also wanted hardware that would last longer and be repairable. Many adhere to the open-source principles of transparency in their software and they look for a similar approach for their mobile phone. They look for a more ethical approach to technology. It was therefore obvious to us that Fairphone would be a great platform for these customers, providing them with a phone that ticks the boxes of repairability, durability, and ethical sourcing.” Fairphone 3 with pre-loaded / e / OS is available from / e / s website on May 7 for €480 ($525). Fairphone 3/e / OS build is available free of charge if you already have Fairphone 3.
