The Murena Pixel Tablet is the talk of the town in the tablet world, and it is not just a normal Android slate. What if you take the hardware of Google’s own Pixel Tablet, wipe off all the data-hungry Google software, and put an open-source, privacy-first operating system instead? Essentially, Murena, the French company known for its privacy-centric devices, has done this, and it is a device that is as much a statement as it is a gadget.
Hardware: Familiar Pixel, New Philosophy
We should clarify one thing upfront: the Murena Pixel Tablet is, in terms of the body, a Google Pixel Tablet. It has the same 10.95-inch LCD, 8 GB of RAM, and 128 GB or 256 GB of storage. The back has the same debossed “G” and four connectors for the speaker dock. The camera is a simple 8-megapixel lens, and there is no SIM slot, microSD card, or headphone jack. To put it simply, it is a good, up-to-date tablet, not a groundbreaking one, but still more than enough for daily tasks. But the real story is not the hardware. It is the ideology behind it.
Software: /e/OS and the Art of De-Googling
The main ingredient of Murena is /e/OS, which is an open-source Android fork made by the e Foundation, and the foundation was set up by the creator of Mandrake Linux, Gaël Duval. This is not just a version of Android without a few Google apps. /e/OS is a privacy-centric revamp based on LineageOS, which removes Google Play Services, telemetry, and all the other standard tracking methods.
Gmail is replaced with a fork of K9 Mail. Chrome is substituted by a Chromium-based browser with ad-blocking feature included. The App Lounge comes instead of Google Play and allows you to get the apps from Google Play and F-Droid without the need for a Google account. If you want to, you can still run Google apps, but you are not forced to use Google’s ecosystem. Murena doesn’t know which apps you run, and you don’t need an account to start.
App Ecosystem: Life Beyond Google Play
This is the point where things become fascinating—and a bit difficult. Without Google Play Services, some applications, especially financial ones, may behave in a way that is not expected by the user. The App Lounge tries to compensate for the lack of communication by searching several app stores and even connecting to Google Play for downloads. If you want to purchase apps, you will have to use a Google account, but for most of the free apps, you are an anonymous user.
The Murena tablet has 23 apps pre-installed, whereas a standard Pixel Tablet has 60+ apps. You will be given the necessary things: email, browser, calendar, contacts, notes, music player, and the like. If you are an open-source fan, then you will find F-Droid just a tap away. But if you are used to the perfect “just works” experience of Google or Apple, then you should know that syncing calendars or contacts from other services will need some work from you.
Privacy Features: What Sets Murena Apart
Murena is not only about the removal of Google. It is about providing the users with the power over their data. The tablet’s privacy menu provides detailed app tracking reports, a switch for IP address hiding, and privacy scores for apps based on tracker audits and permissions. The new Murena Find search engine, supported by Qwant, gives up tracking and targeted ads and hence, provides a more straightforward search experience.
Murena Workspace offers a privacy-safe cloud suite that consists of email, calendar, and contacts, with a maximum of 1 GB free storage. There are paid plans for more storage, but there is no need for an account or subscription if you just want to use the tablet.
User Experience: Who Is This Tablet For?
Using the Murena Pixel Tablet is like a fresh breeze of air to a person who is fed up with bloatwares and forced ecosystems. You are the one who chooses the apps, the services, and whether to use an account or not. The experience is perfect, user-friendly, and without any disturbance, however, there are some bugs as well. Linking with cloud accounts might need additional steps, and some features (such as importing Google calendars) may not be as easy as on popular tablets.
This device is not for everyone. If you are looking for a plug-and-play device with simplicity and want to have access to every app under the sun, then the Murena way may seem as a limitation. On the other hand, if you prioritize privacy, want to be independent of Big Tech, and do not mind a little tinkering, then it is a viable choice.
The Price of Privacy: Is It Worth the Premium?
This is the catch: Murena Pixel Tablet is priced at $549 while Google’s Pixel Tablet is available for $399 or even less during sales. That means the buyer pays a $150 extra cost for privacy and convenience. For the hardcore fans, it’s the money you’d spend if you didn’t want to unlock bootloaders and flash custom ROMs. For regular users, it’s a difficult decision to make.
The Bigger Picture: What Murena Means for Tech Privacy
The pixel tablet of Murena is not only one more gadget in the market, but it also questions the dominance of the existing players. Despite the monopoly of Google and Apple in the market, Murena has shown that there can be tablets focused on user privacy which are not only viable but also practical. The device serves as a demonstration of what open-source software can achieve and a reminder that users don’t have to give up convenience if they want to have control over their data. For those longing to escape from the walled gardens of Big Tech, the Murena Pixel Tablet is not merely a device but a statement.
