I Tested A 'de-googled' Tablet Without All The Bloatware - And It Was Beyond Refreshing

ZDNET's cardinal takeaways

• The Murena Tablet is disposable starting astatine $549 for nan 128GB version.
• This de-Googled Pixel Tablet runs connected /e/OS, a civilization type of Android 13 that removes each default Google services, trackers, and bloatware
• Getting a de-Googled Murena Tablet comes astatine a premium pinch nary speaker dock, for $549, while nan Google Pixel Tablet unsocial starts astatine $399 (currently $299) astatine $479 pinch a dock.

Many tablet users, myself included, struggle to genuinely clasp an Android device. It's difficult to flight nan bloatware and Google-ification that comes pinch Android tablets and simply usage nan instrumentality for its capabilities. All I want is simply a tablet for entertainment, ray work, and games that isn't bogged down by extras aliases search my use.

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This is simply a large logic why I mostly for illustration Apple devices, including iPads, complete Android. But nan Murena Pixel Tablet is simply a ready-made, de-Googled Android tablet you tin bargain that doesn't require tinkering aliases activity connected your end. After testing it for a fewer weeks, here's my verdict and buying advice.

The Murena Tablet runs connected /e/OS, a civilization Android type developed by Murena, a institution focused connected privacy-first devices. It is simply a de-Googled Pixel Tablet, truthful it is physically nan aforesaid hardware arsenic Google's tablet, but skips nan bloatware and search that comes pinch Android. 

A de-Googled tablet doesn't travel preloaded pinch nan Google apps you get pinch different out-of-the-box Android tablets. It has a fewer apps from Murena, for illustration an app store, browser, email, etc. But alternatively of nan 60+ apps that travel preloaded successful your Google Pixel Tablet (and different Android tablets, for that matter), nan Murena Tablet only comes pinch 23.

Maria Diaz/ZDNET

Using nan Murena Tablet connected a day-to-day ground is simply a refreshing experience. Once you get utilized to different ranges of Android tablets and iPads, switching to nan Murena tablet is freeing: location are nary forced ecosystems aliases distractions. You genuinely take your apps and services, down to deciding whether you usage an relationship pinch your tablet aliases not. 

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To get nan astir backstage experience, I chose not to usage a registered relationship pinch my Murena Tablet. I'm still capable to download apps and usage them arsenic I would and log into my preferred apps, for illustration Gmail and YouTube, if I take to do so. But I get to take to person these apps connected my tablet and really overmuch accusation I stock pinch apps for illustration these. 

Maria Diaz/ZDNET

Murena conscionable announced nan /e/OS 3.0 update, which includes a caller Qwant-powered hunt engine, called Murena Find. The update besides offers stronger parental controls, speech-to-text messaging, nan expertise to find a instrumentality via SMS, a CryptPad-powered Murena Vault for unreality storage, and elaborate privateness reports connected app tracking. 

Murena Pixel Tablet (left) and nan Google Pixel Tablet (right).

Maria Diaz/ZDNET

The Murena Tablet and nan Google Pixel Tablet are some nan aforesaid tablet; it's nan aforesaid hardware, truthful benchmark scores are unsurprisingly rather similar. The only flimsy quality is successful nan Murena Tablet's little GPU scores, which are apt owed to nan deficiency of Google graphics libraries and driver tuning. 

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When you see a privacy-focused tablet, you whitethorn instantly deliberation of an iPad. These are mostly much backstage than your mean Android tablets, acknowledgment to Apple's efforts to protect personification data, but you're still locked into Apple's ecosystem erstwhile you usage an iPad. While Apple whitethorn not waste your information if you opt retired of tracking, it still knows your habits. 

The Murena Tablet gives users much independency from large tech: there's nary Apple aliases Google involved, and nary relationship is required to usage it. 

ZDNET's buying advice

Maria Diaz/ZDNET

If you're an Android instrumentality who wants much power complete your privateness and integer life, nan Murena Tablet is presently nan champion privacy-focused Android tablet. It's a ready-made, de-Googled tablet that you don't request to tinker pinch aliases flash an OS on. The Murena Tablet requires nary work, only than you to group it up for illustration you would immoderate different tablet. 

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Aside from having a much backstage experience, nan Murena Tablet is somewhat faster successful mundane use. It has nary bloatware, truthful you tin breeze done astir tasks and apps and not interest astir your apps randomly crashing aliases glitching owed to processing performance.