Photograph: Scott Gilbertson
Whereas I like the privateness options of /e/OS, and even spoof my location info typically, the actual killer function for me is the /e/OS app retailer, known as the App Lounge. Once I used LineageOS, I put in apps from a number of completely different app shops. Eat F-droidwhich hosts open supply purposes, and up downthat are supported by a number of purposes that I take advantage of (Vivaldi being the primary one) after which I had a number of that I might solely get by way of the Google Play Retailer. Anybody who makes use of LineageOS will let you know that that is one thing to control.
/e/OS App Lounge brings collectively apps from quite a lot of sources, together with the Play Retailer and F-Droid, making them obtainable in a single place. (You can even select to indicate solely open supply apps.)
Additionally good is the power to stay nameless when connecting to any of the app shops, though you may must register to get the apps you’ve got paid for since they’re tied to your consumer ID. I additionally had nameless login fail a number of instances, leading to token errors. This is without doubt one of the few locations the place I’ve had issues with /e/OS.
App Lounge has a well-known design, just like Google Play, however with the addition of some options. First, App Lounge supplies privateness info for every app, ranking it on a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being horrible for privateness and 10 typically which means no trackers. App Lounge additionally charges apps primarily based on what permissions they require. The less permissions (for instance, entry to your pictures or geodata), the upper the ranking. This can be a good technique to current advanced info in a approach that everybody can simply analyze.
In an indication of victory for the broader Android-alt group, /e/OS says it’s working to make App Lounge obtainable as an app that may be put in anyplace. (In the meantime, Aurora retailer this can be a shut various.)
What doesn’t work
As a lot as I like /e/OS, it is not good. I had some minor issues with geodata. I stay on the highway, so my location adjustments each couple of weeks. Typically /e/OS is gradual to reply to this and the Maps app reveals me search outcomes primarily based on the place I used to be final week. The included Maps app itself continues to be imperfect (and makes use of some proprietary code). It is higher and extra correct than some other mapping app I’ve tried, nevertheless it’s inferior to Google Maps. I do not care what you concentrate on Google; its Maps app is second to none. I nonetheless use it as a backup when the default /e/OS app does not discover what I would like.
One other necessary lacking function for me is speech to textual content. Presently, /e/OS ships with none speech-to-text conversion in any respect. there’s a good Temporary overview of accessible choices on the /e/OS boards. None of them are good, however I managed to get by with a mix Saiboard and the usual /e/OS keyboard. The excellent news is that there’s a built-in speech-to-text function. in /e/OS improvement plans in 2024. This may also open the door to the /e/OS helper, which is at present unavailable. The venture is unclear on what type this may take, given the privateness implications of interacting with a server to reply requests, however one chance is a big language mannequin operating domestically.