Privacy-focused and anti-Google phone Murena 2 has scooped up over $160,000 on Kickstarter, which is over six times its initial goal of $26,707.
What Happened: The Murena 2 is a privacy-centric, anti-Google phone that now comes with two physical privacy switches for times when you really want to up the privacy level to the top.
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Alphabet Inc.’s (NASDAQ:GOOGL) Google is not among the top favorites of privacy advocates. That’s the target audience for the Murena 2, which runs on a completely de-Googled operating system.
The Murena 2 runs on /e/OS – it is a fork of the Android operating system that does not come with any Google app or service. Murena, the company behind this phone, has custom-made apps for email, phone, messaging and more.
Users can also download Android apps from the built-in App Lounge, an app store that can be used without logging into a Google account.
The first physical privacy switch disconnects the cameras and microphones – a feature that we’ve seen on a few laptops already. The second privacy switch enables the Airplane and Do Not Disturb modes.
Coming to the hardware, the Murena 2 sports a 6.43-inch Full HD+ display, 8GB of RAM and 128GB storage, a 4,000mAh battery, and a MediaTek Helio P70 chipset. It has a 64MP primary camera on the back, along with a 13MP telephoto camera and a 5MP wide-angle snapper. It has a 25MP camera for selfies and video calling on the front.
Why It Matters: Modern smartphones are a privacy sink – Android phones, for instance, are home to Google servers 90 times an hour, or about 2,160 times a day.
On the other hand, Apple Inc.’s (NASDAQ:AAPL) iPhones are relatively better, at 51 times an hour or 1,224 times a day.
On the other hand, Murena 2 promises to be privacy-friendly with no trackers or ads. If you value privacy enough, you can head to the Kickstarter page to learn more details.
Image – Murena
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