First impressions: Fairphone 6 + /e/OS as a working daily driver
There is one device you use most on a daily basis. It runs one of two operating systems – Google’s Android or Apple’s iOS. There is no third option, not in any mainstream sense. Between them, these two American companies control the software layer on virtually every smartphone on the planet: what apps you can install, how your data flows, which services get privileged access to your attention.
In my journey to move away from Big Tech, I wanted to find out if there’s a way out. So I replaced my Samsung S24 with a Fairphone 6, installed /e/OS, and have been running it alongside my iPhone for the past week – not as an experiment, but as a genuine daily driver for professional use.
The phone
The Fairphone 6 is Dutch (although produced in China) and it’s built around repairability and sustainability. Over half its materials are fair or recycled – a proportion Fairphone claims is unmatched in the industry. It has a modular design, solid build, good screen, mid-range chipset, strong battery and some water resistance, but don’t plunge it in a bath. It’s pricier than its specs justify. You’re paying for the principle, not the chipset.
The software
/e/OS is a de-Googled Android fork by e.foundation, a French non-profit. Murena is their commercial arm, selling devices with /e/OS pre-installed – the route I’d recommend over flashing it yourself, which is doable but carries a real risk of bricking your phone. Fairphone also sells devices with /e/OS pre-installed at a slightly higher price than the Google Android version.
The app ecosystem was the big surprise: it’s enormous. /e/OS includes the App Lounge, which aggregates apps from multiple repositories including the Play Store – no Google account required. Google currently tolerates this, though there’s no formal agreement in place.
In practice, virtually everything works. Outlook, Teams, full Microsoft Intune MDM, ABN Amro, DigiD – all flawless. The one real gap: paid Play Store apps require a Google login, which rather defeats the purpose.
The sovereignty angle
Europe has spent the last few years waking up to the fact that digital infrastructure built on American platforms comes with strings attached – regulatory, commercial and geopolitical. Most of that conversation has focused on cloud, data and AI. But the device in your pocket is just as much a part of the picture, and it’s received far less attention.
This is one of the very few realistic paths to bypassing both Google and Apple while keeping near-full app functionality. But the freedom isn’t unconditional – /e/OS depends on Google continuing to tolerate its Play Store access. That tolerance may not survive if /e/OS outgrows its current niche status. A structural risk worth naming.
The bottom line
If you value repairability, sustainability and as much independence from the duopoly as the current ecosystem realistically allows – without having to sacrifice the apps you rely on – this is a compelling option. Alternatives are scarce: the SHIFTphone 8.1 and Murena’s own pre-installed devices are probably the closest comparisons.
It’s not cheap, but Fairphone posted 83% year-on-year growth in Q4 2025, closing in on one million devices sold. Clearly the market is catching up with the idea. Two American companies shouldn’t have to own the software layer of every phone on the planet. A Dutch phone and a French OS suggest they don’t have to.
One week in – so early days. But early days that were convincing enough to sell the S24.
#DigitalSovereignty #Fairphone #eOS #Murena #DeGoogled #EuroTech #BigTech #PrivacyTech