Tech
These Are the Best Alternatives to Google’s Android Operating System
Want Google out of your life? It’s pretty easy to find alternative search, email, and photo storage providers, but it’s much harder to come up with a mobile operating system that’s free of Google. The obvious answer is an iPhone, but if you want Google out of your life, you probably don’t want to immediately replace it with Apple. While a little better from a privacy standpoint, Apple is still not great.
Fear not, privacy-conscious WIRED reader, there are alternatives to Android. Technically speaking, most alternative mobile operating systems are based on Android, not alternatives to it, but these various projects all remove Google and Google-related services (to varying degrees) from the system. Typically that means all the Google services are stripped out and replaced with some alternative code (usually the micro g project), which is then sandboxed in some way to isolate it and restrict what it has access to. The result is a phone that is less dependent on Google, pries less into your privacy, and sometimes might offer a more secure experience. However, at their core, these are all still based on Android.
If you want a true alternative to Android, there are a few. I am sorry to say, free software fans, the best and most functional alternative to Android is still iOS. Most people looking for Android alternatives are not, however, looking to switch to an Apple device. There are a couple of Linux-based phone systems out there, most notably SailfishOS, which can run Android apps (I will be testing this next), but in my testing, none of the Linux-based operating systems are ready to be your everyday device.
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Why De-Google Your Phone?
First off, you don’t have to remove Google. There are plenty of people happily running Google Services on LineageOS just because they want to tinker with the system and expand the capabilities of their phones. That’s a fine reason to dive into the world of Android alternatives.
Still, you don’t have to have a nice tinfoil hat to know that Google’s privacy record is laughable. De-Googling your phone is a way of enjoying the convenience of having a smartphone without sharing everything you do with Google and every app that takes advantage of its APIs. Should you be able to participate in the technological world without trading your privacy to do so? I think so, and that’s why I’ve used an Android alternative, GrapheneOS, for more than five years.
What Is the Android Open Source Project?
Google’s Android mobile operating system is open source, which means anyone can, in theory, build their own mobile operating system based on the Android Open Source Project (AOSP). The AOSP just provides a base, though. There is much more to a mobile operating system than just the underlying code.
Android’s operating system may be open source, but it runs device-specific drivers and Google’s various Play Services application programming interfaces (APIs) with a suite of built-in apps for basic functionality. All of this stuff is another layer atop the Android operating system, and it’s this layer that’s very difficult for other projects to reproduce. It’s not hard for projects to get the AOSP code running, but it’s difficult to create a great mobile user experience on top, which is why the list of good de-Googled Android alternatives is short.
What Is the Bootloader and Why Is It Locked?
The bootloader is a piece of code that allows you to change which software boots up on your phone. The manufacturer of your phone puts a cryptographic key on the phone, the public read-only key. When an update is released, the manufacturer signs the update, and when the phone gets the update, it checks to make sure the signature matches the key. If it does, it applies the update, and if it doesn’t match it doesn’t. This is basic security and protects your device, but it also prevents you from loading another operating system, so one of the first things you’ll do when installing one of these de-Googled operating systems is unlock the bootloader.
Then you install the OS you want to install and then … you probably don’t relock the bootloader because most of the time that won’t work. This is why Pixel phones are popular with people who like to tinker and customize, because you can relock the bootloader on Pixels (and a handful of others), but by and large most people using alternative OSes just live with an unlocked bootloader. It’s not ideal, it’s a security vulnerability, but there’s also not a good solution aside from saying, get a Pixel.
Apple’s iOS does offer more privacy features than stock Android. In my experience, it’s a fine operating system, but it is still very tightly coupled to Apple. Sure, you can avoid iCloud, run your own syncing software, and not use Apple’s various tools, but to do that you’ll be fighting the phone every step of the way. If iOS works for you, that’s great, but for a lot of us, a de-Googled Android phone is just easier to use and more convenient.
Best Preinstalled Phone: Fairphone 6 With /e/OS
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Photograph: Scott Gilbertson
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Photograph: Scott Gilbertson
Fairphone
Fairphone (6th Gen, /e/OS)
The best de-Googled phone experience for most people is going to be Murena’s /e/OS version of the Fairphone 6. Not only does it offer the full /e/OS experience out of the box, with a strong focus on privacy and blocking apps from tracking you, but the Fairphone hardware is repairable, the battery replaceable, and the bootloader is locked. The catch, if you’re in the United States, is that the Fairphone 6 only works with T-Mobile and its MVNOs. Somewhat ironically, it worked great on GoogleFi when editor Julian Chokkattu tested it last year. I tested it using T-Mobile’s prepaid plan, as well as RedPocket’s T-Mobile-based service, and had no issues with either.
The Fairphone 6 gets even better when you put /e/OS on it. Thanks to the privacy-first design of /e/OS, apps no longer track you, but they do still work 99 percent of the time, which is often not the case with some apps on alternate OSes (looking at you, banking apps).
The core of the privacy features in /e/OS revolve around the Advanced Privacy app and widget. Here you can block (or chose to allow) in-app trackers, and there are other features such as hiding your IP address or geolocation when you feel like it. The IP and geo-spoofing are nice for limited-use cases, but the main privacy feature for most of us is the ability to block trackers in apps—and it turns out there are a lot of those.
Murena also ships /e/OS with a very nice custom app store, the App Lounge. It’s similar to the Play Store, but with extras like privacy information about each app. Under each listing in the App Lounge you’ll see a grade from 1 to 10, where 1 is horrible for privacy and 10 generally means no trackers. The App Lounge also grades apps according to which permissions they require. The fewer permissions (like access to your photos or geodata), the higher the rating.
To address the elephant in the room: Yes, Lego bricks are made of plastic. The company makes billions of tiny bricks that proliferate all over the world and all over your living room, and they will not biodegrade and cannot be recycled.
With that said, Lego bricks are machined to incredibly tight tolerances. Unless your dog chews on them, the bricks retain what Lego refers to as their “clutch power” for decades. Like so many others, my family became obsessed with Lego sets during the Covid-19 pandemic, and we still love them today. Years on, I have found no better way to while away a rainy afternoon than making tiny tyrannosaurs and pterosaurs with your son.
If you and your loved ones are also obsessed with Lego sets, we have some great gift ideas for you. If not, don’t forget to check out our other gift guides; Mother’s Day and Father’s Day are coming up sooner than you think.
Updated April 2026: We added the Throne Room, added more information about smart bricks, and updated links and prices.
In a major collaboration that will see the two AI companies link to the GPU manufacturer’s AI factory and AI-radio access network (RAN) ecosystem, as well as investigate research into silicon photonics technology, Marvell Technology has joined the Nvidia AI ecosystem through the NVLink Fusion platform.
The primary objective of the strategic partnership is to connect Marvell to the Nvidia universe, offering customers building on Nvidia architectures greater choice and flexibility in developing next-generation infrastructure. As part of the development, Nvidia has invested $2bn in Marvell.
Operating for more than 30 years, Marvel’s stated mission is to move, store, process and secure data with semiconductor solutions. The company believes that through a process of “deep collaboration and transparency” it is ultimately changing the way tomorrow’s enterprise, cloud and carrier architectures transform for the better.
It recognised that as more of the world’s data flows through the cloud, each cloud is unique and uses its portfolio of data infrastructure semiconductor technology to optimise the best solution for customers’ needs. Working on-premise or in the cloud, it works with customers to look for “unexpected connections” that deliver a competitive edge.
The partnership builds on Nvidia NVLink Fusion, a rack-scale platform that enables customers to develop semi-custom AI infrastructure using the NVLink ecosystem. Under the terms of the partnership, Marvell will provide custom XPUs and NVLink Fusion-compatible scale-up networking, while Nvidia will provide the supporting technologies, including Vera CPU, ConnectX NICs, BlueField DPUs, NVLink interconnect and Spectrum-X switches, as well as rack-scale AI compute.
For customers developing custom XPUs, NVLink Fusion is designed to enable a heterogeneous AI infrastructure fully compatible with Nvidia systems, allowing “seamless” integration with Nvidia GPU, LPU, networking and storage platforms while using Nvidia’s technology stack global supply chain ecosystem.
The companies will also partner to transform the world’s telecommunication network into AI infrastructure with Nvidia Aerial AI-RAN for 5G/6G, and advance networking for AI. This will include advanced optical interconnect solutions and silicon photonics technology.
“Our expanded partnership with Nvidia reflects the growing importance of high-speed connectivity, optical interconnect and accelerated infrastructure in scaling AI,” said Matt Murphy, chairman and CEO of Marvell. “By connecting Marvell’s leadership in high-performance analogue, optical DSP, silicon photonics and custom silicon to Nvidia’s expanding AI ecosystem through NVLink Fusion, we are enabling customers to build scalable, efficient AI infrastructure.”
Jensen Huang, founder and CEO of Nvidia, added: “The inference inflection has arrived. Token generation demand is surging, and the world is racing to build AI factories. Together with Marvell, we are enabling customers to leverage Nvidia’s AI infrastructure ecosystem and scale to build specialised AI compute.”
The new strategic partnership follows a similar arrangement that Nvidia struck with Nokia in October 2025. In this, the companies have announced a partnership to add the former’s AI-powered RAN products to Nokia’s RAN portfolio, enabling communication service providers to launch AI-native 5G Advanced and 6G networks on Nvidia platforms.
The aim was to drive wireless innovation in performance and efficiency, ensuring consumers using generative, agentic and physical AI applications on their devices will have “seamless” network experiences. The companies said that by working together, they were laying the strategic infrastructure and opening up a high-growth frontier for telecom providers by delivering distributed edge AI inferencing at scale.
Something has shifted in the workshop. After years of DIY being sold as a weekend hobby for the mildly bored, home improvement has quietly become a serious cultural force. The global DIY market is forecast to hit nearly a trillion dollars this year. And while a third of you are apparently planning on starting a new DIY project in the next three months, the primary motivator for DIYers is, you guessed it, saving money. Not a bad thing right now, considering how the Iran war is spiking prices.
The tape measure and the drill you inherited from your folks will only take you so far. Fortunately, the tools driving this boom have never been smarter, and better hardware should mean, hopefully, better results. Whether you’re building furniture, finishing a deck, or just finally hanging that TV straight, the tools available right now are genuinely more precise than anything a generation ago could have imagined. From a miniaturized soldering station to a kid-safe desktop cardboard router, these are WIRED’s 15 picks worth making room for in your toolbox this year.
And no matter how good your tools are, never forget: measure twice, cut once.
A Multifunction Power Tool
This intimidation-free power tool is perfect for people looking to conquer the multitude of household tasks that don’t require a massive hammer drill. Dremel’s neatly balanced 12-volt tool is made for fixing, tightening, and assembling. The detachable laser level and clever electronic stud finder hidden in the front of the handle make it ideal for hanging pictures, shelves, and 4K TVs. Comes with nine drivers and three drill bits, covering most household fixes without the need for a complete toolbox overhaul.
A Soldering Station
A compact, open-source soldering workstation that condenses a full electronics bench into a single portable unit. The battery-powered soldering iron offers precise temperature control from 212 to 842 degrees Fahrenheit (100 to 450 Celsius), making it suitable for delicate PCB work as well as more robust tasks. Integrated fume extraction pulls harmful vapors away at the source, while built-in magnification and adjustable LED lighting improve visibility. The clincher is that by being open-source, Soldr positively welcomes hardware tweaks and firmware upgrades, making it as appealing to hobbyists as it is to serious prototypers.
A Sander
Festool
DTSC 200 Basic Cordless Delta Sander
It is well known in the trades that if someone’s workshop is full of Festool gear, you can bet they take their craft seriously. And with its new 18 V cordless sander, the brand has made the possibility of achieving perfection just that bit faster. The triangular pad reaches deep into corners and tight edges, while variable speed control allows for fine-tuning between aggressive stock removal and ultrasmooth finishing. Weighing just over 2.4 lbs without the battery, the sander is designed for controlled, one-handed operation, while the integrated LED casts low-angle illumination across your work surface to highlight even the slightest imperfections. Connect it to a vacuum hose to keep the work table clean, or snap on the included dust collection bag and go fully mobile.
A Smarter Level
Put the trundle wheel down; this modular, stackable touch screen measuring system combines laser distance, level, and rolling scale modules in one, measuring up to 164 feet of distance at a 1/16-inch accuracy. The system captures measurements in real time and syncs instantly to the app, allowing users to generate floor plans or mark up dimensions without manual note-taking. Compact enough to fit in a pocket yet precise enough for professional use, it’s a seriously smart upgrade for anyone still juggling tape measures and spirit levels.
A Premium Sewing Machine
Husqvarna
Viking Designer Sapphire 85 Sewing & Embroidery Machine
While it might be overkill if you’ve not yet mastered the art of sewing buttons back on, this pro-grade smart sewing machine can do seriously impressive things with a needle and thread. It offers more than 680 stitch patterns through an 8-inch color touch screen for intuitive control, alongside automatic thread tension and sensor-based foot adjustments. The extended sewing surface allows for large quilting projects, while the powerful motor ensures consistent stitch quality across thick fabrics. Built-in connectivity and access to the mySewnet Library give you access to a continuously growing collection of embroidery designs, plus the ability to craft and implement your own.
A Box Cutter
Designed by noted knife maker Richard Rogers, the Box Key applies his clean, minimalist approach to a tiny everyday cutter. The 1.24-inch drop point blade is made from Sandvik 12C27 steel with a stone-wash finish, which helps disguise scuffs from daily use while improving corrosion resistance. The stainless steel handle with a hole keeps the profile slim enough to attach to a key ring, and at 1 ounce, it adds barely any weight to your daily carry. A smart, indispensable little tool for opening boxes, trimming cord, and other light-duty jobs.
A Toolbox
Japanese-inspired, UK-based Niwaki (translates as “garden tree”) produces seriously desirable and practical tools for home and garden. With the ST-Type Toolbox, however, the brand has created a vintage design that wouldn’t look out of place perched on a girder in the famous “Lunch Atop a Skyscraper” photo. Built from powder-coated steel with a traditional cantilever design, it measures 14.2 inches wide and opens to reveal tiered compartments that keep hand tools organized and visible. The metal dividers in the top trays can be rearranged to hold screws, nails, and bits, or removed entirely to fit even more tools.
Safety Glasses
Pit Viper
Rev-Loc Z87+ Safety Glasses
Pit Viper may be famous for its right-wing-baiting anarchic approach to eyewear, but we bet you didn’t know it also does a fantastic range of equally irreverent-looking, but highly practical safety glasses. (This model will launch on April 13.) Certified to ANSI Z87+ standards, they have impact-resistant lenses, 100 percent UV protection, antifog coatings, plus adjustable arms and nose pieces for a super-secure fit. Available with standard- or high-contrast polarized lenses, the side shields can be removed when not needed.
A Handy Saw
A good value, highly practical camp saw that folds small, but still cuts the mustard. The 12-inch blade is mounted on a four-pivot frame that maximizes usable cutting length and keeps tension consistent through each stroke. Then, when you’re done, it folds flat without disassembly, fully enclosing the blade for safe transport. Weighing 15.3 ounces, it is light enough for any expedition, but still feels reassuringly robust in use. That grippy rubberized textured handle works well in wet conditions, while thankfully, the design accepts standard 12-inch replacement blades.
A 3D Printer
This high-speed 3D printer is built for rapid prototyping, and so is aimed at designers who are tired of overnight prints for simple parts. It spits out building material at speeds of up to 1,200 millimeters per second, driven by a lightweight and accurate delta motion system. The enclosed cylindrical build chamber (12.6 x 16.9 inches) improves temperature stability for materials such as ABS and PETG, while auto-leveling and smart calibration should reduce setup time. A direct-drive extruder with an all-metal nozzle capable of reaching 350 Celsius supports a wide range of filaments. Wi-Fi, an onboard camera, and AI-assisted monitoring all help keep prints on track.
A DIY Stem Project
CircuitMess
NASA Mars Perseverance Rover
The 1972 NASA Moon Buggy is one of only a handful of “products” WIRED has ever awarded a coveted 10/10 score to. It’s a shame you’ll never be able to get your hands on one, but you can always scratch that interstellar itch with this fantastic build-it-yourself Mars Perseverance Rover electronics kit. Designed for STEM learning, it combines more than 200 parts with coding, robotics, and mechanical assembly into a single project. Users can program movement, sensors, and basic autonomy through an included microcontroller, gaining hands-on experience with real-world engineering concepts. As intricate and detailed as it is, the whole model is remarkably smaller than the family cat.
A Leaf Blower
Hoto
20V Cordless Leaf Blower
Bringing some much-needed sci-fi chic to yard work with this cordless 20-volt blower that pushes 720 cubic feet of air per minute at 120 mph from a lightweight body. The compact 3.7-pound design (without battery) makes it easy to use with one hand, even if you’re coping with trees post-leaf-peeping season. A brushless motor improves efficiency and extends the blower’s lifespan, while stepless speed control allows precise adjustment to give you just enough wind to clear light debris all the way up to a full-force clearing. The lithium-ion battery lasts up to 30 minutes, and it’s removable, so you can buy extra batteries to quickly swap in and keep on blowing.
A Charger and Radio
Milwaukee
M18 Packout Radio Charger
Stackable with Milwaukee storage systems, this sound system has a classic rock-ready 10-speaker array capable of blasting The Boss to every corner of a construction site. Built tough and powered either by plugging it in or using the standard M18 battery, it has Bluetooth connectivity and an AM-FM radio. It also doubles as a battery and USB charger for smartphones and power tools. A reinforced housing protects it against drops, dust, and moisture.
An Electric Cutter
A compact, battery-powered cutter designed to remove the effort and improve the precision of a host of cutting tasks. The motorized blade uses SK5 high-carbon steel slicers, delivering clean, controlled cuts through everything from cardboard and fabric to leather and even some plastics. Weighing 10.5 ounces, it is easy to guide with one hand, while the 4V rechargeable lithium battery should let you slice for hours on a single charge. A guarded cutting-edge and trigger activation improve control further, as well as keeping your fingers safe.
For the Kids
This kid-safe router-style cutter is a perfect antidote to the usual screen time. Using a digitally controlled blunt cutting head rather than exposed blades, it lets children (big and small) cut cardboard, card, foam, felt, thin fabrics, and light plastics at either 1,500 rpm for faster cuts or 800 rpm for more controlled work. The standard head can handle materials up to 3 mm thick, but an optional upgrade to a 5 mm “ProCut” head lets you go thicker. The compact 11.8 x 11.8-inch desktop unit comes in pink or green (go pink!) and connects over USB or Wi-Fi to bundled software that can generate cutting templates from simple project designs you upload. The Cutter 2 serves up fun and engaging activities for little ones as young as four.
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