Updated: July 22, 2026
In the big and vast smartphone world, practically, you only have two operating system choices. Android and iOS. Well, three. Android, iOS ... and everything else bunched as one tiny niche. This is not unlike the desktop world, dominated by Windows and macOS, with Linux and friends at a distant third place. Sure, you can use the alternatives, but you need to be prepared for all sorts of problems, from availability to compatibility. Therefore, if one wants to attempt something similar in the mobile space, what sort of success should they expect?
My recent endeavors on the Fairphone + Android and the Pixel added to my general distrust and aversion toward the smartphone stuff. So much in fact, that I decided to give the tiny niche its chance. The options are many. GrapheneOS, LineageOS, /e/OS, and then some. Most of these require manual effort by the end user, and often, you need a very specific device. If you don't have one, it's a rather tailored purchase, for results with an unknown happiness factor. But I did find a rather nice candidate. Fairphone. It ships with /e/OS as a factory option, and I already happen to have a Fairphone. Lo and behold! I already did this test, what! I immersed myself into the avantgarde world of mobile software. The results were, well, let's say curious. Now, we must continue this adventure. After me!
Upgrade available
Read this in the iconic Command & Conquer (Red Alert) voice, if you will. Shortly after I wrote the last piece, my phone told me there was a major system version available. I also did a bunch of application updates, without any issues.
I'm not 100% sure what all those icons mean, especially the cloud one.
The entire procedure, download, installation, optimization and such took about 10 minutes, maybe a bit longer. Then, I rebooted my phone, and it launched into its new and upgraded environment. No fancy announcements, no tour, and no change to my security baseline. I didn't need to toggle/untoggle anything. The weather widget now also works correctly, even with the location services disabled. Good!
What else is new?
Well, the overall system speed feels unchanged. The boot sequence is a tad longer. The Browser still has the old Fairphone 4 build string. Then, I also decided to create a Murena Workspace account, to see how this fits into the overall scheme of things. Now, there will be an entire, separate article on this. For now, some quick impressions.
TL;DR: Yes, you can have an entire suite of programs other than stock Google stuff available, but then, you've never really been limited in this regard. You can already use the likes of Microsoft Office, OnlyOffice, Proton apps, and then some. Murena's toolbox is another alternative, with a distinct EU flavor to it. After all, it kind of makes sense, considering all the different elements in the equation: Murena, /e/OS, Fairphone. Definitely interesting, but with some big bugs. There's your teaser.
You get some new wallpapers, but it seems the thumbnail preview for the new set does not match what you actually get on your screen. As in, the little rectangle of colors seems to be from the previous bundle, or something.
Ah, I spoke prematurely regarding BlissWeather. Yes, it does work with the Location services disabled, but the app still needs the Location enabled at all times as a permission. Without it, the widget will be empty. So in a way, this is much like the weather problem on the Pixel. Silly. Utterly silly. And counter-privacy, if you think about it.
Another super-super annoying thing - the phone disables the Do Not Disturb mode on reboot. As in, if I set it, and then restart the device, it will be disabled. This is so modern software, so smartphone-like. We can't have people not receiving their notifications, being all hyper and all that. Worse, I set the option for DND to be turned off only manually, until I decide. Apparently, the reboot does not count. Apparently, I must be "connected" to the modern experience. Not sure if this is Android or /e/OS, it's silly, either way.
Conclusion
I am rather pleased with the /e/OS 4.0 update, even though it pains me to write the operating system name every single time. I know the reasons for the change, but still. Anyway, the major version brings in mostly improvements, be they functional or visual. Furthermore, I didn't have the usual Android stress of checking every single option, to make sure nothing was toggled or untoggled without my consent. And then, at the same time, there are some rather annoying details throughout, which reek "modern" but not better all over the place. Like the DND double toggle (previously, one), and on-reboot mi-scusi forgotten nonsense. That's your software in 2026. Twice as inefficient and hyperactive. QED.
But I do like this device, and I like this somewhat anarchistic operating system. Now, let me give you a wee teaser as to what happens next. I got a dedicated new phone number for this Fairphone, so there's that. And I intend to test the full plethora of apps, proprietary and open-source, to see what gives. I still don't have all the answers I need regarding App Lounge and MicroG, but hey, that's what this set of reviews is for, to see if the Android sans Google experience is actually feasible. I hope it is, but we shall see. Stay tuned.
Cheers.