After launching several privacy-focused smartphones, Murena has launched its first tablet. The French company customizes mobile devices with a version of Android called /e/OS, which removes Google apps and services so that the search giant cannot collect your data and personal information. The company is following this familiar pattern for the Murena Pixel Tablet, which is a customized version of the Google Pixel Tablet released in 2023. You can’t choose the color or more than 128 GB of storage, but you do get the peace of mind that the giant corporation isn’t monitoring everything you do with it.
First announced in December last year, the Murena Pixel Tablet is already available in the company’s online store for $549. This is a very high price considering that Google is currently selling the same 128GB version of the Pixel Tablet for $399, or $479 with a charging speaker dock, which Murena does not offer.
Part of Murena’s de-Googling of the Pixel Tablet is the removal of the Google Play Store. You can still download apps through /e/OS’ App Lounge, which acts as an interface to the Play Store, allowing you to browse and get free apps anonymously without Google knowing who you are. However, downloading paid apps requires you to sign in with a Google account.
A variety of Google productivity apps are not included, but the Murena Pixel Tablet comes with privacy-focused alternatives for messaging, email, maps, web browsing, calendar, contacts, notes, and even voice recordings.
Murena Workspace, a version of services like Google Docs or Microsoft Office 365, includes productivity apps and 1 GB of secure online storage for free. You can increase this amount to 20 GB of cloud storage for $2.49 per month or $24.90 per year, or to 128 GB for $7.49 per month or $74.90 per year.
