DeGoogled phones, made in Europe: Fairphone, Volla, SHIFTphone, Punkt – a full review.

9 months ago by maam to c/buyeuropean

With the growing trend to deGoogle, European phone makers are becoming popular alternatives. Let’s look at the top five in this review.
ptu 51 points 9 months ago

Conclusion

The reviewed phone makers – Volla, Fairphone, Shift and Punkt – focus on producing deGoogled phones with a deGoogled OS preinstalled. It’s great to see the trend of going Google-free growing, and it’s a strong push-back against Google’s strategy of killing Android freedom and of making it impossible to install any app from any app store on Android.

That’s not a very useful conclusion

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Axolotl_cpp 23 points 9 months ago

It sound like something AI written but with some human intervention to make it look like less odd.
Don't quote me on that though

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rbn 14 points 9 months ago

that though

.

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PheasantPlucker 8 points 9 months ago

That's just how Germans write

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Axolotl_cpp 5 points 9 months ago

Remind for myseld in 70 years:
Don't reincarnate as german
/jk

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corsicanguppy 36 points 9 months ago

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doc_rootbeer 28 points 9 months ago

As an American, this is mostly a nonstarter, but right now, the only alternative that really intrigues me is the Jolla Phone (which I invariably have to look up to make sure I'm not getting it mixed up with Volla), because it's the only one that isn't just running a custom Android ROM. We need a true, viable alternative to Android and iOS and, to me, a de-googled ROM is only a half measure. Furthermore, the alternative needs to be free and open source, and community-driven.

Makes me wish I'd gone into software development 25 years ago because now I can only wish I could be the change I want to see in the world.

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mEEGal 14 points 9 months ago

And I can guarantee you'd be basically helpless and mostly useless as a mobile dev in this landscape...

I'm painting a grim picture but the reality is that the task is so ginormous that it would take tremendous ressources and thousands of devs to make it happen.

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dejpivo 3 points 9 months ago

This. I was putting a lot of hope into the PinePhone, but the effort required to 1) make it at least barely usable and then 2) keep it that way across updates is just too huge.

And believe me, I tried back then. Even as a software developer, I couldn't live with it, making all the possible sacrifices. After more than a year of struggles I just got a Pixel 7 and couldn't be happier to this day.

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Nilz 6 points 9 months ago

While Jolla phones aren't running Android, they sadly still require the Android kernel.

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Kjell 6 points 9 months ago

As I understand it they use the Android kernel since the hardware manufacturers does not add hardware support in the Linux kernel. So they don't really have any option.

However, it is still an issue that it can't be 100% de-Googled.

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MonkderVierte 2 points 9 months ago

*Linux kernel

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Vittelius 4 points 9 months ago

The Jolla and the Volla phone both don't run Android. Or more precisely, Volla sells an version of their phones that uses Ubuntu Touch instead of Android.

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MonkderVierte 25 points 9 months ago

if you can use your banking app on it or not.

If not, change the bank (and tell them why). This is the sustainable way.

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Prior_Industry 9 points 9 months ago

I remember people saying this about Windows Phone. It's a nice idea, but reality is that most banks will be happy to let the small percentage of users that make this request leave.

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MonkderVierte 4 points 9 months ago

Not with EU data soveireignity.

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Don_alForno 5 points 9 months ago

Yeah. EU data sovereignty. With my Master Card credit card that I need the banking app for. That's totally going to work.

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pineapplelover 2 points 9 months ago

I don't even use a banking app lmao

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MonkderVierte 1 point 9 months ago

Yeah, mine has a hardware key thing for their security theater.

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atcorebcor 2 points 9 months ago

How do I know if my bank allows that before I switch? Also, how many other apps might not work on the new system?

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UnspecificGravity 2 points 8 months ago

You could ask them.

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halfdane 1 point 8 months ago

Due to regulatory restrictions (second factor must be bound to a certified hardware), I think all German banks use integrity checks for devices (SafetyNet/Play Integrity). Those will usually fail on rooted devices (unless you get lucky with magisk) or won't work at all in the first place.

IMHO, german banking apps are really the end boss.

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ryan_ 24 points 9 months ago

Shame on tuta for the headline. Sure, they’re European companies, but according to the article everything except the Volla phone is made in China.

Per the article, the Volla phone starts manufacturing in Taiwan (which I 100% support) and then finishes in Germany so that’s the only one of these that I’d actually consider.

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neo2478 37 points 9 months ago

A big thing about the Fairphone is ensuring proper compensation to the entire production chain for the phone.

When it comes to electronics its essentially impossible not to have it go through China, and even if it does not go through China, there is no guarantee that workers are not being exploited. So making sure that there is no exploitation in the production processes is more important for me than avoiding China altogether.

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atro_city 28 points 9 months ago

We live in a globalised world. To demand a "pure" X phone is simply ludicrous. Children mine many important minerals with little to no protection in west African countries, and if it's not children, it's probably Uyghurs or some other minority for the rare earth metals, the chips are made in multiple countries but mostly China and Taiwan using Dutch machines, assembled by suicidal hand in East and Central Asian countries, and sold in Europe. And that's not even all parts of the supply chain! Nearly every single link exploits one person or another, the money is used to lobby or forcefully keep the status quo in said country while making mostly already wealth Westerners rich.

To have a purely European phone, you'd probably have to pay 5k at least for the phone. Every European country's citizens will resist mining in their country because they are acutely aware of the environmental damage it does and who will get rich from it, but they will gleefully buy the same product made under horrible conditions in other countries and not bat an eye when asked if it's hypocritical. "At least it wasn't my backyard".

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IanTwenty 15 points 9 months ago

If you have one of these phones be great to hear some personal experiences.

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neo2478 16 points 9 months ago

I have had a Fairphine 6 running e/os for several months now, and I could not be happier. Fully de googled, but all apps I've needed run perfectly fine. Also I get around 40 hours of battery, so I charge the phone only every other day for about an hour.

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ScoffingLizard 4 points 9 months ago

It's not quite degoogled. MicroG makes calls home to Google. Deactivate device registration and Cloud notifications in Micro G settings if you want to stop calls home but keep Google apps. Otherwise mtalk.google.com is making queries.

I basically just used Shizuku and Canta to remove the MicroG settings. I'll just bank on a different machine that sits at my house constantly. F google.

Also, the article leaves out that the phone has a kill switch that defaults to kill microphone and camera. I think it is configurable but I have not tried since I like the default.

1000000036

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0_o7 1 point 9 months ago

40 hours of battery?

You mean on standby?

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neo2478 4 points 9 months ago

No I mean with day to day use, watching videos, listening to podcasts, scrolling through Lemmy, messaging, etc...

I rarely call though.

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ScoffingLizard 3 points 9 months ago

I can confirm this. I have gone longer than that I think. I noticed my battery still at 97% when I plugged to charger before bed recently. It's amazing.

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UnspecificGravity 2 points 8 months ago

That doesn't surprise me. I have an android based MP3 player that is just an old stripped down version of android with a battery size half that of my phone and it lasts 4x as long because it isn't running nearly as much bullshit.

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freeearth 12 points 9 months ago

Own FP5 with CalyxOS installed. I like this setup, only battery life is not very good (not sure how it goes on official Android). BatteryGuru sais 10%/h with screen active and around 1,2 %/h idling

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MadameBisaster 6 points 9 months ago

Got Fairphone 5 with eos, pretty happy with it.

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the_strange 5 points 9 months ago

I recently bought the FP6 with android preinstalled and installed /e/os myself because it was cheaper that way. Installing the is is not difficult at all and there is a detailed guide availabe.

I'm pretty satisfied so far. I'm not missing any functionality except for the headphone jack, but I was willing to compromise on that. Sadly it's almost impossible to get a phone with headphone jack nowadays anyway.

I generally look for smaller phones with long battery life, and value durability and longevity over cutting edge features. In that regard, the phone is very good in my opinion. It's smaller that current flagship phones and over the holidays I even went a week without charging it, on day-to-day use I'm currently charging it every 2 to 3 days.

I can't speak about how repairable it is yet myself, but according to FP and ifixit repairs should be very easy for things like changing the battery and doable with some steady hands for more complex repairs. There are no glued down parts, everything is screwed down or clipped in and you can buy spare parts straight from the manufacturer.

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DreasNil 3 points 9 months ago

Been using a Fairphone 6with e/OS since basically it was launched and couldn't be happier! All my banking apps work.

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badabim 2 points 9 months ago

I've been using a Shiftphone 8 (after upgrading from a Shiftmq 6) with the degoogled ShiftOS-L. It does the job. The removable battery is really nice since I can carry around a spare battery and quickly swap if needed. However, it is made by a small company, so updates are quite sparse. I'd like to switch to iodéOS once it gets out of beta.

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misterred 12 points 9 months ago

Interesting that they don't cover puri.sm5 or NitroPhone, the latter having been built around GrapheneOS which the Tuta article implies is still a ways off for degoogled phones. This is actually a Pixel9a that has been modified to degoogle it, and seems like the most security-focused consumer phone I've looked at so far.

https://shop.nitrokey.com/shop/nitrophone-5a-807

Useful article in any event, thanks.

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Goodlucksil 8 points 9 months ago

Purism is American does not run Android, and the NitroPhone is a rebranded Pixel with Graphene and disconnected sensors. Useful for privacy, not for e.g. European independence. Not much different from a particular reselling Pixels with Graphene.

Edit: Changing my reasoning.

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misterred 0 points 9 months ago

The OP's and article's subjects did not specify a need for the less secure Android OS. And the NitroPhone is entirely deGoogled which @goodlucksil@lemmy.dbzer0.com or others could understand by reading the linked article, rather than rushing into snark-combat.

Tuta's article was not about nonPixel phones. It was about escaping the Google ecosystem which aligns with the Nitro's purpose, along with its hardening of security by physical removal of pixel's sensors, to start. The [re-]design philosophy and methodology appear sound. If I were looking for a new, deGoogled phone now in the $900+ USD range, it would likely be my top consideration.

But again, it was an interesting article.

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Goodlucksil 1 point 9 months ago

While I have rewritten my first comment, I'll add an answer: NitroPhone has the same usecases as Graphene, and deGoogling is a side goal to privacy, in opposition to e.g. Lineage. This article seems to be for pure deGoogling and, to a lesser extent, phones assembled in Europe, which Nitro is not. A final reason is that Nitrokey is unknown to many, and possibly those that made Tuta's post.

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misterred 1 point 9 months ago

"All Nitrokeys [presumably including their reengineered phones; I'm not 100% certain, but that appears the case] are produced in Germany"

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atropa 3 points 9 months ago
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OiMate 12 points 9 months ago

Where DeAndroided phones? Gib linux.

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Quill7513 6 points 9 months ago

jollaphone

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Babalugats 8 points 9 months ago

Hopefully within 2026 we can start to refer to phones as 'Android/Google Phones', 'iPhones' and 'FOSS Phones' - No longer referring to them as 'DeGoogled'.

But I am 100% understanding why we use the term now, it came from a Reddit sub. I think (and hope) if we start using the alternative term - FOSS Phones or Open Source or Sailfish/Jolla or whatever else they are.. that people will start looking at that option quicker.

DeGoogled sounds to many like it is a bit of work to get rid of google (Buying a google phone and having to remove it). At one stage that was true, custom roms etc.

But I am hoping at this stage anyone buying any of these phones will already know why they are choosing them over other brands.

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ExLisper 4 points 9 months ago

Price is the biggest issue for me. Those phones cost over 600 euros while you can get Pixel 9a for 400, probably less if there's a deal (I got 8a a year ago for 250). 650 euros for a mid-range phone is a lot. 200-400 euros more just not to buy a Pixel... I will think about it.

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maam 5 points 9 months ago

That’s the advantage of large phone manufacturers is that they can buy in bulk.

There’s also used phones with unlocked bootloaders.

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ScoffingLizard 4 points 9 months ago

I pay to support the company and for privacy, not quality for sure. With Fairphone 6, the quality is fine for me.

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atropa 1 point 9 months ago
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ExLisper 1 point 9 months ago

It was a good offer, I know.

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cauthon117 4 points 9 months ago

Got the volla quintus on Black Friday. Have been fucking around with the dual boot going back and forth between Ubuntu and their Volla OS since then. It’s fun and works for me.

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stat_rosa 2 points 3 months ago

Just want to say, I'm very happy with my Shiftphone 8.1, which is running e/os L (no Google). I use Micro G for payments with Curve Pay and use Magic Earth instead of Maps. It is amazing how long the battery lasts without Big Tech constantly looking over my shoulder.

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sedd 2 points 8 months ago

Arg, it's so frustrating. Punkt isn't a smartphone. The rest are just shipping with Android OS so we're still in the US walled garden. I REALLY wish the EU would put proper investment into Jolla. Mandate banking apps work on an EU specific phone provider, give people a real alternative.

I can't expect the average person to take on the pain of moving to Sailfish in the hope enough demand means banks would naturally move to an EU alternative. But do please move to Jolla/Sailfish!

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JLock17 2 points 9 months ago

Are any of those available in the US?

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