I can't stand iOS devices, and I don’t much like Google’s Android system either. As you might imagine, shopping for a phone or tablet is a challenge when your preferences clash with the dominant platforms.

Fortunately, there's the GrapheneOS project, which lets me use a Google Pixel phone without Google, but until recently, there was no equivalent for tablets. Murena, the company behind /e/OS, has stepped in with a tablet that’s both Google-free and bigger than the Pixel. It’s not perfect, but after months of testing, I’d call it the best privacy-respecting, de-Googled tablet you can buy right now.

A Tablet Without Google

Murena's /e/OS-based tablet was developed in collaboration with German-based hardware maker Volla. The version Murena sells comes preloaded with Android-based /e/OS (see our full review of the phone version of /e/OS), which has some optimizations for tablets and offers optional integration with Murena cloud services as an alternative to Google.

The Volla tablet has a 12.6-inch, 2560 x 1600-pixel, 240-ppi screen that’s plenty bright and sharp, and has pretty color depth. It might not win any accolades from photographers or graphic designers, but that’s not really the market here. It’s great for watching movies, browsing the web, doing office work, or, in my case, watching MLB, although there is an issue with that which I will get to in a bit.