"DeGoogled" version of Fairphone 3 with /e/OS now available

The Fairphone 3 is a great phone for the socially-conscious, but what about the software it runs? The Fairphone’s build of Android relies on many Google services, and Google has been heavily criticized for how it handles user data. So what if you could take Google off the Fairphone 3? That’s exactly what the /e/ Foundation hopes to accomplish with its own version of the Fairphone 3.

The /e/ Foundation is now selling the Fairphone 3 with /e/OS pre-installed. Build on a stock version of Android (and the Android Open Source Project), /e/OS is essentially Android without any Google services built into it. The organization sells a few other devices with /e/OS pre-installed, namely the Galaxy S series from the Galaxy S7 through to the Galaxy S9 Plus.

Now, the /e/ Foundation is selling the Fairphone 3 with /e/OS onboard. The Fairphone 3 is built to be an environmentally- and socially-sustainable phone that is easy to repair with components sourced from fair-trade or conflict-free areas. The /e/ Foundation says the pairing is “an obvious choice” for those that “care about fairer technology.” 

Currently, the /e/OS version of the Fairphone 3 is only available in Europe for €479.90. The phone ships with a 2-year warranty and a 14-day return policy.

What are your thoughts on the Fairphone 3? Will /e/OS make it more enticing? Let us know in the comments.