DeGoogled phones, made in Europe: Fairphone, Volla, SHIFTphone, Punkt – a full review.
With the growing trend to deGoogle, European phones are becoming popular alternatives. Let’s look at the top five phones without Google in this review.
The current trend to deGoogle is mostly about getting open source Android apps as replacements for Google apps and about getting rid of AI mode in Google search. But now many want to move beyond that, and leave the Google ecosystem for good. For this they are looking for phones without Google, made in Europe. And we at Tuta can understand this trend very well! In 2026, it’s no longer necessary to base your entire digital life on Google or Apple, you can have a nice smartphone AND remove yourself from the Big Tech ecosystem completely. We’ve looked at 5 European phone makers that enable you to free yourself from Big Tech and its invasive tracking practices.
Top 5 deGoogled phones
- Fairphone (Gen. 6)
- Volla Quintus
- SHIFTphone 8
- Punkt
- Murena
Honorary mention: GrapheneOS
This review will focus on these five smartphones that are developed in Europe and work as solid replacements to Google’s Pixel phones or Apple’s iPhones. That said, we must include one honorary mention: GrapheneOS. GrapheneOS is an Android OS that only runs on Google’s Pixel phones, and starting in 2027 on Motorola phones. But as the Android Source Tree for Google’s Pixels is no longer open source, the GrapheneOS team is looking to adapt the OS to other phones and has recently announced that it will be available on Motorola phones in 2027. This upcoming launch will make Graphene OS on Motorola phones a hot contender for this article, and we’re looking forward to updating this overview then.
Even now, GrapheneOS is a great choice when freeing yourself from the tracking of Google apps as it’s an alternative open source operating system, and well known for its focus on security and privacy, for instance it has a hardened memory safety and exploit mitigation. However, even if you do not use any Google apps on your Pixel device powered by GrapheneOS, you still hold a Google phone in your hand, having paid money to Google when buying it. That’s why GrapheneOS is not included in this review, but it must be noted that it’s one of the most secure operating systems out there.
The Graphene team says:
GrapheneOS exists to provide a high level of privacy and security. GrapheneOS only connects to GrapheneOS servers by default with a lot of control over that. GrapheneOS provides far stronger exploit protections making it impossible to exploit a large subset of remote vulnerabilities and far harder to exploit nearly all of the rest.“
Practical notes for deGoogled phones
Obviously, when choosing a deGoogled phone, you will not want to get your apps from Google Play. Fortunately, there are great app store alternatives such as F-Droid, Aurora, and App Lounge in /e/OS that you can use instead. Sometimes it will be necessary to sideload your favorite Android app, meaning you need to get it directly from an app developer’s website as they offer their apps only via Google Play and not the alternatives. It can get complicated with apps such as banking apps that heavily rely on Google Play for Android, but some phone makers offer workarounds for this. It’s also possible that Google-dependent functionalities such as push notifications handled by Google’s FCM will not work on your deGoogled smartphone.
That’s why you should prefer choosing apps that do not rely on Google Push such as Signal instead of WhatsApp and Tuta Mail instead of Gmail. But not using WhatsApp and Gmail on a deGoogled phone makes sense anyway…
When it comes to security and privacy, it’s important to also think about security updates and patches. Some of the here reviewed operating systems for deGoogled Android phones are criticized for being slow on delivering critical security patches. When it comes to patching security vulnerabilities quickly, GrapheneOS is the best one.
But now, let’s look into the top five phones, designed in Europe, to free yourself from the Google ecosystem!
Fairphone (Gen. 6)
The Fairphone (Gen. 6) is your future phone if you want hardware longevity and the possibility to deGoogle – with the option to go back to Google if deGoogling turns out to be too much of a challenge. Fairphone is a Dutch company that has been around since 2013. The unique selling point of Fairphones is the focus on longevity and repairability. The company promises wants to offer an alternative to use-and-throw consumerism by encouraging you to use your phones longer. That’s why Fairphones get a long warranty and are built modular, with12 modular parts that can be easily swapped without having to get an entirely new phone when something stops working.
When using Fairphone with Google’s Android, you can get all your apps from Google Play without any limitation. To use a deGoogled Fairphone, you can order it with /e/OS preinstalled. While you will then not be able to get your apps from Google Play, /e/OS offers its own app store called App Lounge that gives you access to lots of apps you would find on Google Play plus Google-alternative apps. You can also sideload apps, for instance you can get the Tuta apps directly from the download section of our website. While most apps are fully compatible and run normally on your deGoogled phone, it’s not a guarantee for all apps that are out there, especially banking and government apps. If your app is not compatible on /e/OS, you might need to explore an alternative way to access it, such as via browser.
Pros:
- Promises long warranty, extended software support and easy DIY repairability with 12 swappable parts
- Choose between Google’s Android OS or the deGoogled /e/OS from Murena
- Made with fair and recycled materials under fairer working conditions
Cons:
- Some apps (banking, DRMed video) may require workarounds
- Fairphone hardware choices focus on sustainability, which sometimes is in conflict with best speed performance
Unique features:
- Exceptional repairability
- Long update promises
- Ethically-sourced components
Flagship (Fairphone (Gen. 6)) - key specs
- SoC: Qualcomm Snapdragon 7s Gen 3
- RAM / Storage: 8 GB / 256 GB (Expandable upto 2TB with SD card)
- Display: ~6.31” LTPO OLED, 120 Hz
- Battery: ~4,415 mAh (User-replaceable)
- Cameras: 50 MP main, 13 MP ultrawide, 32 MP front
Verdict
Fairphone with its focus on longevity, high repairability, and sustainability is a great choice if the environment and ethical working conditions matter to you. You can always try going deGoogled, but if it doesn’t work out, you can always install an Android OS or any other custom ROM you like. While Fairphone is the best known European brand, there are more phones like Fairphone, which we review below.
You can get a deGoogled Fairphone (Gen. 6) for €649 here.
Volla phone Quintus
The Volla Quintus is the best choice when you want a multi-boot experience. It’s an Android powered by VollaOS (with multi-boot option) or Ubuntu Touch.
If you already get most of your apps from F-Droid or Aurora, you will have no issue switching to the Volla Quintus with VollaOS. The operating system is based on the open source Android (AOSP) and runs without any Google-dependency. Optionally, you can enable microG to improve compatibility for apps that rely on Google Play Services. Without this, some apps like banking apps may not work or have limited features (especially when it comes to push notifications or security checks). Volla phones are developed and sold in Germany; the hardware is partially manufactured in Asia, but final and decisive production steps takes place in Germany.
CEO Dr. Jörg Wurzer says:
A smartphone or tablet is a complex product with a complex supply chain. In our case, it starts with the chipset manufacturer Mediatek in Taiwan, continues via the board designer and the respective component suppliers to us in Remscheid. The final and decisive production steps take place in Germany. This includes final assembly or engraving, but above all the installation of the firmware and finally packaging and sealing at our site in Remscheid. For some models, we also use manufacturing capacities for assembling the device in Bocholt. Volla OS is developed and built on our self-managed servers located in Germany and Finland. We also manage the servers for the OTA (over the air) update. By the way, the display of the Volla Phone Quintus uses tempered Schott Alpha glass.”
We are gradually expanding our production capacities in Germany and now even have production capacities in Remscheid for small series of components, initially for accessories. We have now largely switched from commercial goods to our own products manufactured in Germany for the accessories. Felt cases from Bavaria, cables from Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, and screen protectors also from North Rhine-Westphalia. Some suppliers are even located in the neighborhood as we like to keep sourcing as local as possible.”