While unfortunate, not shipping these standard Google apps is not really an option for any Android manufacturer due to Google requirements. Including them is required if you want to use anything from the GSM, which includes things like the Play Store and everything it touches. You can technically ship a different Android distribution like Lineage or /e/, but that’s not really what most people will be expecting of an “Android” phone and will narrow the viable target demographic even more than the value proposition already does.

Easily removed, though. The great thing about Fairphones is, like Pixels, they have loads of deGoogled OS support.

As a side note, Google Messages replaced the recently discontinued AOSP SMS messaging app