I really wanted to recommend this unusual phone, but it hasn’t worked out that way at all

When is an Android phone not an Android phone, but is also an Android phone if you want it to be?

That’s the odd no-man’s-land occupied by the Murena Fairphone 6, a smartphone that can’t quite decide whether it’s an anti-Google phone or not.

Unrelated to this, and because I feel Fairphone is a company that should be supported, it’s a phone I really wanted to like and was keen to recommend. Sadly, it hasn’t worked out that way.

Different flavors

Software differences

There are two different types of Fairphone 6, or Fairphone (Gen 6) as it’s also known. One with Android installed, and the other with Murena’s /e/OS installed, which is the model I’ve been using.

Only the Murena Fairphone 6 can be officially purchased in the US, directly through Murena, and it costs $899. Yes, $899.

For that, you get a Qualcomm Snapdragon 7S Gen 3, a 6.3-inch P-OLED screen with a 1,116 x 2,484 pixel resolution, a 4,415mAh battery, and a pair of cameras on the back.

There’s definitely a market for phones that don’t use full Android, but instead promote security and enhanced privacy. Except, the Murena Fairphone 6 seems to want to be all things to all people, and I don’t think it succeeds.

De-Googled or not?

All the apps you want

Murena’s /e/OS is based on Android 15 but does not come with Google Mobile Services or the usual suite of apps installed, including Google Play.

While the notification shade and Settings menu function as you’d expect, there’s no Google Discover, Google Pay, app drawer, or even Google Gemini.

The odd thing is, although Google Play isn’t installed, there is something called the App Lounge, which contains all the apps you could want, including Google’s own.

It looks a bit like Google Play, just with a less attractive design, and no option to make in-app purchases.

It means you can turn the Murena Fairphone 6 into a fairly normal Android phone, just without some of the more annoying aspects of Google’s OS, but also without the really helpful daily features many rely on.

On the surface, this sounds like it could be quite a good thing, but in reality, it’s far from the neat solution to a Google-free life it could have been.

Hardware woes

Step back in time

If you’ve used an Android smartphone released in the last few years, then don’t expect the Murena Fairphone 6 to compete in any meaningful way.

However, before we get into why, if repairability is important to you, the Fairphone still reigns supreme.

It’s possible to change the battery, screen, camera, and other components with a simple set of tools and some patience. Phone repair specialists iFixit rated it a perfect 10/10.

This has long been the primary reason to choose a Fairphone device, along with its promises related to fair business practices across the supply chain.

I love this, and always have. We need companies like Fairphone. It’s just a shame you have to compromise on the actual hardware so much to support it.

While the shape, build, and overall design of the Fairphone 6 is excellent, it doesn’t appear that it was really thought about.

The power key contains the fingerprint sensor, but it’s flush with the case and really annoying to locate. But, there’s a massive, yellow slider directly above it that I always “find” with my finger before it, suggesting placement is less than ergonomic.

The slider has an unpleasant action, and defaults to disabling the camera and microphone, which I don’t find anywhere near as useful as OnePlus’s Alert Slider, which changes sound and vibration modes.

There is a way to customize it to activate Do Not Disturb, but it’s not immediately obvious how to do so.

The volume keys are awkwardly placed in the middle of the left side of the phone, there are quite large bezels around the screen, and no always-on display. At least it has a 120Hz refresh rate.

I haven’t been impressed with the 50-megapixel main camera. I understand it’s not the focus of the phone, but at this price, it has to be better.

The camera app is ponderous, and I don’t like how you change between the main and wide-angle lens by using a button labeled Lens 1 and Lens 2.

I’m not going to critique the photos it takes too much, as they’re not awful. They’re just distinctly average, and because the camera lacks versatility, that’s all it’ll ever deliver.

Unfortunately, the Fairphone 6 just comes across as a phone that would have struggled to be competitive five years ago, let alone today.

Privacy and more

There are some good things

There are some interesting software features that will appeal to those looking to protect their privacy online.

In addition to the usual privacy options, there’s an Advanced Privacy screen which provides in-depth data on trackers and apps that expose your data, allowing you to stay in control.

It’s data-heavy, which will appeal to the kind of person excited by this type of feature, and seamlessly built into the software.

To the left of the home screen, you’ll find a widget giving you quick control over its level of protection. In the App Lounge, apps receive a score based on how they handle personal data and privacy.

After spending a bit of time with the Murena Fairphone 6, I felt like the Advanced Privacy mode and its related features were all I wanted, and I’d rather have a full, normal Android phone to go with it.

They’re genuinely easy to use and understand, which isn’t always the case with privacy-focused software.

Murena provides its own email, message, gallery, and file explorer apps, but they all look so basic, I’m not inspired to use them. Even if I prioritize privacy, why should I compromise on the rest of the software and hardware?

Because the App Lounge is a less well-designed version of Google Play that comes pre-installed, I don’t think Murena is convinced it offers enough to captivate buyers either.

If you’re prepared to jump through some hoops, it’s possible to flash Android with Google Play Services onto the Murena version of the Fairphone, but it’s not for the faint-hearted.

It’s also pointless. If you want the full Android with all Google’s toys, just buy an Android phone and enjoy the better hardware, camera, and software too.

A frustrating turn

All I want is repairability

I love Fairphone’s entire business ethos, and the way you can repair its phones at home, without much effort or prior knowledge. This is, and always has been, what makes its phones unique.

It’s fantastic to see an extended five-year warranty on the device too, making this a generally safe purchase.

Unfortunately, the Murena version of the Fairphone 6 muddies the waters.

It won’t be de-Googled enough for some, and too much for others, but as you can also install any Android app you like to make it more Google’d, I don’t really understand who it’s for.

Then there’s the price. This is a $900 phone, and while I understand Fairphone’s approach and relatively low production numbers will increase the price, the hardware doesn’t really reflect this cost.

It’s hard to tell a regular person they should buy the Fairphone 6 over a Pixel 10, OnePlus 15, an Apple iPhone 17, or even a Nothing Phone 3.

What I wanted from the Fairphone 6 was for it to be the Pixel of the repairability world, but unfortunately, it’s a long way from being that, and is instead a tough sell even for those wanting to support Fairphone’s laudable efforts.