I’m new here (from .nl). While I’m waiting for my Fairphone 6, I am doing research which custom (de-googled) ROM I want to install. Of course /e/OS is the most obvious, but I want to make sure I pick the right one from the beginning. Disclaimer: I’m technically savvy and installed LineageOS and CyanogenMod before.
The reasons for me that I want to flash a custom ROM is primary ethical. I want to avoid Google as much as possible, but I don’t want that a de-googled phone gives me constantly headaches. For example: I am open to use MicroG. Of course privacy and security are also important aspects. But the reason I choose the Fairphone and not a new Google Pixel 9 + GrapheneOS is ethical in nature. So here we are.
There are a three options. I will list them and give my personal pros and cons. I’m curious about your opinion.
/e/OS
pros: The best Fairphone support AFAIK (like camera etc); It seems that /e/OS has the largest community cons: Murena is a bit to pro-AI IMO; Has a lot of bloat that seems to be difficult to remove; Android 15.
iodéOS
pros: I hear only good stories about them; Android 16. cons: I don’t know their background.
LineageOS
pros: I have experience with LineageOS (although already a few years ago); Android 16 (but in beta if I understand correctly). cons: I have the idea that it’s not much used in the Fairphone community, but maybe I’m wrong.
You also have/had CalyxOS, but that one is on a hiatus and it smells like there are issues over there. And if all is alright, a build for the Fairphone 6 is not a priority as it seems.
I cannot compare /e/OS to any of the other systems you’re eying, but I do know Volla OS, Ubuntu Touch, Mobian and Android. /e/OS is by far the most convenient alternative OS I’ve come across so far (although I’ve had only ten days of experience with it, the FP6 was delivered on Monday last week).
According to Kuketz (well established German security blog writer) iodéOS is quite good, i’m eyeing a switch to it when I have enough time to set everything up again (depend on my fp5)
You need to find your preferences. What I like with /e/OS is the cooperation with Fairphone, which gives firmware updates and a better camera.
Both have MicroG and a somewhat similar philosophy. If you don’t like the AI integration in /e/OS, then you don’t have to use it.
I’d check the forums for both to see the user experience. I think that /e/OS has become quite stable now. I haven’t used IodeOS myself, but I’ve tried a lot of different roms for both Fairphone and other phones, including Graphene and Calyx.
In the meantime I have a Fairphone 6 and installed e/OS. I’m mostly satisfied. The only two disappointments are the forced blue accent colour (they removed the Material You config) and the IMO useless default launcher (bad iOS clone). The launcher can be replaced of course. I now use Laynchair and although a beta it works good. The colour is something I have to found out later, but is not a priority for now.
For example: I am open to use MicroG. Of course privacy and security are also important aspects. But the reason I choose the Fairphone and not a new Google Pixel 9 + GrapheneOS is ethical in nature. So here we are.