Murena offers smartphones and software that are “private, sustainable and fully open-source.” Using e/OS/ the company has built a portfolio of hardware and software used by enthusiasts around the world, as well as making forays into the consumer space through partnerships with the likes of Fairphone. Now it has decided to show what e/OS/ can do on a larger device with the release of the Murena Pixel Tablet..
Murena Pixel Tablet Specs
There’s no hiding where the tablet originated from, the clue is in the name. The Murena Pixel Tablet is the original Pixel Tablet. It comes with 8 GB of RAM, 128 GB or 256 GB of storage, the 1600×2560 10.95 inch IPS display and a basic 8-megapixel single lens camera. It is a Pixel Tablet. It is not an approximation nor a careful clone; it is a Pixel Tablet, right down to the four connectors to connect to the speaker base and the debossed “G” on the rear of the tablet.
The one difference is the operating system. While it is Android, it is not Google’s flavour of Android. The Murena Pixel Tablet runs e/OS/.
Murena Pixel Tablet And e/OS/
e/OS/ is a privacy-focused Android variant, building off the Android Open Source Project. The pitch goes, “we have removed many pieces of code that send your personal data to remote servers without your consent.”
That makes for a significant difference compared to other Android-based tablets because removing that capture of personal data means eliminating many of Google’s Android tools from the tablet. You won’t find first-party apps such as Gmail, Google Maps, Gemini AI, Google Calendar or YouTube.
There is no Google Play Services, which means you’ll need to find apps in other corners of the internet. And when you find those apps they may not run if they are looking for any hooks provided by Google Play Services. Financial apps will be your biggest hurdle because of this.
Murena Pixel Tablet Apps
Switching away from Google’s flavor of Android will always result in an app gap, and there’s no simple way around it. Most consumers expect certain apps, but they’re not going to see them on Murena’s tablet.
Out of the box, you have a relatively standard suite of apps; a PIM suite with Calendar, Contacts, Notes, and Tasks; connectivity with Email and Web Browsers; multimedia with Music player, Sound recorder, Camera, and Gallery; and tools such as Clock, Calculator, File Browser, Settings, and the App Lounge.
Confident consumers should be able to get to grips with the Mail client and know that it can access Gmail, Outlook, and similar services, but working through the implications of CalDAV or EteSync for the Calendar app would be beyond my parents.
The Murena Pixel Tablet does offer the core PDA and internet apps you would expect, but it’s not a simple login once so it all works; you’re going to need to tinker. There ares a lot of people who are both happy to tinker and want to be able to control their data.
If there’s an audience Murena is targeting, this is it.
Murena Pixel Tablet And Third-Party Apps
The ecosystem for Android tablets is weaker than that of Android smartphones. There is a shared codebase there is not the volume that will universally push developers into tablet releases in the way that Apple’s iPad can. Now add in the lack of Google Play services, and the third-party app ecosystem for the Murena tablet is limited.
One advantage Android has is the ability to install from any source, as long as you give permission. This opens up using alternative app stores, including the predominant open-source store of F-Droid.
Most users will turn to Murena’s App Lounge. This searches through multiple app stores online to create a central space to discover and update apps.
Curiously, it connects to the Google Play Store, allowing you to download apps from the Google Store without signing in to the store. If you have previously purchased apps on your Google account, you can sign in, although there may be compatibility issues.
Compatibility remains an issue, especially when an app fails. You receive little information when an app can’t be installed or does not run. The free and open-source media player VLC is a staple of all my smartphones; it offers local music and video playback, can connect to network drives, and handles internet streaming radio into the mix as well. Yet it “isn’t compatible with your tablet”, and I’m left none the wiser. Yes, e/OS/ comes with a music player, but it’s far less flexible.
How The Murena Pixel Tablet Leaks
The Murena Tablet may leave the factory with a noticeable level of security and privacy, but that is easily traded away if the user is not careful. To take a broad example, installing a capricious social media app that records your clicks, interactions, and outbound visits is not something that e/OS/ can protect you from.
Privacy does not end just because you have a privacy-focused operating system. It’s constantly being aware of where you are installing apps from, what apps and services you use, and the impact those decisions will have on your mobile experience. To that end, the App Lounge offers a Privacy Score on many apps to give a subjective indication to help your decision on installing.
Who Is The Murena Pixel Tablet For?
You must remember that this is a computer you will need to tinker with. While Murena and e/OS/ have done their best to create a seamless ‘out of the box’ solution, it has less software functionality than a Google Play certified tablet. That will appeal to a solid slice of the community
Yet the most significant issue here is a simple one… the price. You see, there are detailed discussions and guides on installing e/OS/ onto a standard Pixel Tablet, and the aforementioned tinkers of this world will be happy to unlock bootloaders, install ADB, use USB debugging tools, and so on.
The Murena Pixel Tablet is priced at $549; the Google Store sells the Pixel Tablet at $399. There will be more overheads in the background, but for consumers, this represents a $150 fee to install a new operating system. It’s an even bigger premium when you consider Pixel Tablet deals from other retailers, such as Amazon’s $299 price point, nearly half that of Murena’s.
I wonder what sort of sales Murena is expecting? As a full-blown consumer offering, the Murena Tablet sits in an awkward position in terms of price, capability, and consumer comfort that does not feel commercially viable.
This combination makes far more sense as a demonstration of what is possible with e/OS/, showcasing what an alternative operating system with a focus on privacy can deliver in tablet form. Looking at the tablet through this lens, Murena can call this interesting exercise a success.
Disclaimer: Murena provided a Murena Pixel Tablet for evaluation purposes.
