First motorola grapheneos phone i am buying to get fully off the google pain train. Grapheneos tides me over until a real linux smart phone shows up or i die of old age. Now if home assistant could get thread network join*ng working without an android phone with a google account i could ve fully ris of those eh holes.
Yeah requires a free Bluetooth radio and has a bit of setup, but in my opinion, it's well worth it to not be reliant on Android or iPhone, which has always given me problems.
And typically security is very bad, no good sandboxing, MAC (through e.g. SELinux), etc. I know that doesn't matter to everyone, but in the context of a discussion about GrapheneOS it does.
That's debatable. Pretty much every generation of the Pixel phones have had some major issues. They've even had to do multiple extended repair/replace programs due to some of them. Heck there is even an ongoing issue where one of their updates has caused multiple generations of their devices to be bricked (and that still hasn't been fixed) - https://www.androidauthority.com/google-pixel-march-update-b...
On a technical level, yea, it may be great hardware but in practice, I don't think it is. As an Android user, I wish it were but it's not. Samsung is so much more reliable as an end user (even with their own issues).
Motorola devices with GrapheneOS support will arrive in 2027 or later, not 2026. Likely, the 2027 Signature, Razr fold, and Razr flip, will meet GOSs hardware security requirements.
Carrier-sold Pixels generally don't have "OEM-unlockable" bootloaders.
Your best bet for now is to buy a new Pixel direct from Google, or a used one from eBay that the seller advertises as already having GrapheneOS on it (or otherwise guarantees that the bootloader is unlockable). These ones are worth a lot more than the ones that can only run Google/carrier Android.
I own two GrapheneOS Pixel 7 units, which should get any Google blob security updates (which GrapheneOS incorporates) through October 2027, and GrapheneOS may still support it with source updates after that. So in a year or so, I might get the GrapheneOS Motorola if it's available, or a later Pixel. (I never buy these new, since I don't want to carry a several hundred dollar phone when a 2 gen old one is still great, thanks to GrapheneOS.)
OEM/carrier locking tends to only happen in the US. Many carriers permit unlocking after the contract has concluded, but Verizon has always blocked it. Used devices also run the risk of being improperly unlocked and making OEM unlocking remain unavailable. (Used devices may also be Verizon devices.)
Is this true for all carriers? Or just Verizon? Several Reddit threads say that it's just Verizon. T-Mobile users report being able to bootloader unlock after getting their phones carrier unlocked by T-Mobile.
OEM/carrier locking tends to only happen in the US. Many carriers permit unlocking after the contract has concluded, but Verizon has always blocked it. Used devices also run the risk of being improperly unlocked and making OEM unlocking remain unavailable. (Used devices may also be Verizon devices.)
I finally left Verizon after nearly 20 years. I had it with their enshittification, couldn't stand it anymore. I switched to US Mobile and on the Darkstar (AT&T) network. I have no regrets. I caught it on a black friday deal, so I'm paying basically $20/mo for top tier service. You wouldn't have caught me dead with an AT&T service or MVNO years ago because I'd seen so many bad experiences second-hand, but these days it's been a breeze knock on wood
I also did the math and determined buying a new unlocked phone outright on this plan was far cheaper than paying Verizon monthly for one.
+1 for US Mobile. Verizon was also good, but a few months ago my cofounder and I discovered we were absurdly overpaying for our decade-old small business plan and found that US Mobile offered a better end product for a fraction of the price.
Currently running my Pixel on Warp (Verizon) with zero practical difference, and starting Monday I'll also have a backup iPhone with a small $8/mo Darkstar line. The money I've saved since switching more or less paid for the iPhone, and I'll be getting 2x reliability for way less ongoing cost. The better app/website/support and extra features are just a bonus.
Yep, Pixels for them are entry points to Google One subscriptions, etc. The Pixel 9a is currently 350 Euro in my country, it has the same CPU/GPU (modem differs) that the expensive 9 Pro/Pro XL/Pro Fold had. Factoring in development costs, etc. at that price I cannot imagine it being more than break-even.
Also, even Pixel 9a has all the security functions of the flagship that many other Android phones do not have or are just getting, such as the Memory Tagging Extension (MTE), the Titan M2 security processor (no need to rely on TrustZone for secrets), etc.
I don't see a problem with supporting their legitimate hardware or cloud business models. But of course I see a problem supporting their illegitimate adware and spyware business models.