stands for:
Lib(re) -> Free
Re –> Renewed
S –> Secure
As far as our research goes, during COVID some Linux/open source enthusiasts in Europe had the idea to create guidelines for a collection of specific “de-googled” phones:
These devices
– all have an alternative/free operating system, e.g. Lineage OS, crDroid, /e/OS, graphene, havoc OS and others
– are all based on 3+ years old used/refurbished phones (mostly Samsung) and if necessary: new spare parts (display, charging plug, etc)
– are affordable: generally they cost way less than half of the original sales price of each new (Samsung) phone or “around/less than € 200” as a rule of thumb. Just compare that with some “freedom”/ privacy/ “Made in USA” (incl. 50% China) phone, fairphone or Pine Phone with mostly less performance, no AMOLED display and 3-5x the cost
– are up to 50% faster than phones with pre-installed Andoid/Samsung system
– are all “de-googled”/de-bloated: no Google apps pre-installed. Only some (micro) opensource libraries might be installed to make up to 98% of available apps from the original Google Play Store be running on these devices
Pre-installed apps that are free and open source:
– A new app store for 100% free/open souce apps, e.g. PipePipe/Youtube alternative without the ads
– An open source Play Store-clone for all “common” apps like Facebook, Instagram, Firefox, Chrome, online banking apps, Linkedin, Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, etc. So far it seems that +/- 98% of all apps are running perfect – like on the original operating system
– Fossify Suite: Contacts, Calendar, SMS, and more
– Tasks: Your ideas, projects, tips, to-do lists, etc.
– Davx5: Sync/backup all your contacts, calendar entries, events and tasks to a secure, encrypted server in Europe. Protected by the GDPR (DSGVO), not under restriction of US authorities (like Google, Meta, …). Free for private use
– a few other helpful, free tools for daily work
Also, there might be some FAQ pages available in 2026.
