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Fairphone's Google-free open source OS is now available to download

Fairphone's Google-free open source OS is now available to download

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It's based on Android, but there are no Google services

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Phone manufacturer Fairphone is all about making smartphones that are as accessible and ethical as possible. This includes trying to find conflict-free minerals for use in their phones' construction, but also the software that lives on these devices. Yesterday, the company released its own open source Fairphone OS — an Android-based operating system that doesn't include Google services. This means users will have to find their own apps for email, maps, and a browser, but in exchange they get more control over their software.

Read more: Fairphone 2 review

This certainly won't be something than many users will want. For most of us on Android, Google's services are just too integral to give up, and the benefits of an open source mobile OS are a bit niche. Still, it shows Fairphone is sticking to their principles, and it's interesting to see manufacturers release this sort of software at a time when the EU is actively investigating Google for being too anti-competitive with Android. You can find out more information about the Fairphone Open Source OS here.