I am looking for a new Android smartphone (currently on iOS).
Obviously I read about GrapheneOS as the „Gold Standard“ of alternative OS. But the downside is that it only runs on Pixels. Which is kinda weird to buy a device from a company you want to „boycott“ (de-Google).
On the other hand I kinda like the approach of Fairphone: most parts are easy repairable, parts are available and cheap compared to Google and Apple. But the downside here is that it isn’t supported by GrapheneOS, doesn’t have the most capable hardware for the price and probably won’t get 7 years of updates like the Pixel 8a in comparison.
So that leaves me with a „analysis paralysis“: I have to choose a device and a CustomROM.
/e/OS does seem interesting but I read some comments that it isn’t that secure like GrapheneOS. I don’t need that high-level of security but it should be significantly more than stock Android to be worth all the hassle by installing/using a CustomROM. On the other hand I don’t want to sacrifice every comfort for the sake of the last bit of (theoretical) security.
Did someone go down this path as well recently and can share some experiences? Maybe there is even some better alternative.
If you buy a new Pixel and then run an alt rom like graphene or lineage, you’re most likeley costing Google money. I believe they manufacture the Pixel at a small loss because they expect to make their money back harvesting and selling your personal data. Denying them that should mean you get decent hardware at a fair price, without really “supporting” Google as much as you fear. I could be wrong, but I’ve definitely seen that mentioned before.
Alternatively you can just buy a used one from a private seller.
I recently bought a Pixel 5 for less than $200.
I despise paying even that much for a phone.
Well privacy costs money now unless you can live without electronics.
I don’t recommend others follow suit as the Pixel 5 has stopped receiving security updates. Obviously could use a ROM that has them them but no guarantee or obligation to do so in a timely manner. Pixel 6 however will receive updates until 2026.
@en1gma
What smartphone to buy: A device that is produced #fair an designed #repairable. Such as #Fairphone or #Shift. I for one prefer the Shift6mq because it still has a headphone jack.What CustomROM to use: depends on your choice of HW. My number one is #IodeOS followed by #e_OS.
You can even buy devices new or refurbished with /e/OS or iodé already installed at murena.com or iode.tech.Sony’s Xperia phones are fantastic and the bootloader can be unlocked on most models (check the sony bootloader unlock webpage to check). Xperia phones have a micro sd slot, headphone jack, and physical camera shutter button. I have an Xperia 1 iii running LineageOS w/microG and it’s fantastic and stable. Bit of a learning curve to set it up though.
Depending on where you live, I would recommend the new Xperia 1 VI; Sony is promising support for three OS versions and four years of security updates. It’s not great but it is far better than what they previously promised with their phones.
I feel the 50 years support claims, whether in hardware or software, should be of little concern; you’ll grow tired of it, no one is going to rock the same phone for 10 years, replacing components as they fail and whatever Fairphone’s delusion is.
as to concrete recommendations, take a look at Xiaomi phones (Mi/Redmi/Poco/etc.). they ship with a bloated spyware called MIUI which is such a horrific mess on so many levels I can’t begin to count the ways it sucks. even moderately competent phones have trouble keeping up with the bloat, they glitch out, drop frames, freeze, etc. so people just get rid of them and upgrade to something snappier. as a consequence, they can be had for cheap on the used market.
the good news is, they have snapdragon models with super competent hardware and a good portion of them have lineageOS support (and by extension, many other derivative OS) - Poco F1 is one of the rare semi-modern phones that also has postmarketOS support.
the bad news is, the bootloader unlock process takes a week, just because; do yourself a favor and don’t connect this monstrosity to your LAN while you wait for the timer to expire. also, they’re chaotic (to say the least) with their model naming, with zero consistency what each suffix means (T, Pro, etc.) and it’s not rare that they do a model “refresh” where they replace snapdragon with mediatek in the “updated” version.
If not a Pixel with GOS, I would say the second best pick is a Fairphone with CalyxOS… And don’t worry about the updates, they’ll provide extended support for as long as possible, which could be years, CalyxOS is also awesome
I really want to buy a Fairphone but even the new one would be a downgrade from my P7Pro at a high price.
Hoping they can make the next one a bit more competitive with current flagships.
I have a “old” OnePlus 6t with LineageOS. I try /e/OS and i don’t like me. if I had to buy a smartphone to install a rom in, I would look for a OnePlus 7-8…
I like stock Lineage OS
Do you plan on using any proprietary apps?
Also Graphene has a vary vocal fan base. It isn’t the gold standard for some.
I like lineage, too. But there’s a long list of security and privacy features that it doesn’t get you. Not to mention that the chipset EOL is going to end firmware updates, usually quickly. And the model support is impressive, but still spotty.
Meanwhile https://grapheneos.org/features
The model support is of course miserable. Which is kind of understandable when only one line of hardware has the needed hardware features.
Most of the features on that page are in AOSP
Anyone know a good CustomROM if you have a Motorola?
LineageOS supports some Moto models.
Thanks, friend.
Lineage OS + F-droid
Pixel 6a/7a/8a with GrapheneOS.
If you have other or older device, I’d go with DivestOS.
I think divest most supported because based on lineage. But not nearly as secure as graphene.
Edit: i think most of benefit of custom rom is not really security, read graphene faq on future device, say most hardware not secure enough on own. more like privacy, choice and control. most custom rom probably enough for that.
if you want real linux, look at postmarket. but not great experience iirc because hardware thing.
You can buy a used Pixel smartphone
this is the way
I thought about it too but I don’t see any other benefit buying a used Pixel besides that it isn’t a new phone from Google.
- Battery life will be shorter already
- It isn’t the newest model so it won’t get the longest period of updates
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Battery life isn’t a given - I have a 2018 flagship that still runs most of a day because it runs DivestOS instead of battery-eating Google rom
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You can replace a battery for little
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Updates are over-rated. Yes, they can be important, but if your security is layered as it should already be, it’s just another piece of the puzzle, not the only barrier.
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Graphene does a great job trying to keep it updated.
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But do you really need update from Google if you’re planning on installing a custom rom ? Genuine question, I thought your security updates would be handled by /e/ or graphene or whatever you choose
Not necessarily, they’ll get some OS updates after google pulls the plug, but they’ll stop getting firmware and other hardware-specific updates.
Per GrapheneOS:
Pixel 4a (5G) and Pixel 5 are end-of-life and shouldn’t be used anymore due to lack of security patches for firmware and drivers. We provide extended support for harm reduction.
This is the important bit. Talking about updates on OS level is kind of confusing and hiding the fact that it’s the chipset going EOL in old devices and not the system.
Firmware gets obsolete, not software, is closer to the right idea.
https://grapheneos.org/faq#device-lifetime
You can buy a used Pixel 8 and it will be supported by Graphene through 2030 at the very earliest, probably rhe best support lifecycle you can possibly get on a phone.
The Pixel 8a is more affordable vs the 8 and 8 Pro. The 8a comes in at $499, while the 8 cost $699 and the Pro runs $999. The 8a still has an amazing camera, the battery will give you no problems, and it’s not a MASSIVE device like most phones these days. It’s probably the best way to get on Graphene OS at a reasonable price point.
$500 is NOT “affordable”. $300 for my 7a new was already hard to swallow, and I think only previous-gen models border on “acceptable price”. 7 was only a bit more expensive in the store I used though - didn’t go for it because it is larger, and 7a is already at the edge of what I can comfortably use one-handed, but for someone this might be indeed a better deal.
I said “more affordable” as I was comparing the 8a, 8, and 8 Pro. Whenever a new model comes out, last years always has a price cut. I didn’t think referencing the 7a was required, as it’s implied it’s less expensive than 8a. But the 7a only will be supported for 5 years, while 8a will be for 7 years. This alone could make it the better choice. However, I know finances are different for everyone. Regardless, when I said it’s more affordable, this was a reference to it being noticeably less expense than the 8 and 8 Pro.
Well, given how short phones’ support is, most people end up using it past EOL anyway. But at least Pixels are pretty universal in their custom OS support, so they can have, for example, Lineage installed if updates are important. Spending $500 on a phone is insanity, two extra years of support are not worth it imo.
Just go with GrapheneOS. Nothing else is even remotely close tbh.
Except anything with MicroG
That’s one tiny part. The pixel platform and graphene have tons of important features.
https://grapheneos.org/features
Microg tacked on to something doesn’t give these.
Next best thing to GOS would be Calyx OS. Seems only pixels are getting full updates unfortunataly… https://calyxos.org/install/ The hardware on the pixels security wise is unfortunately hard to beat. Get a used one?
E/OS seems like a good choice if you don’t want to use a pixel.
I wouldn’t go e/os because it uses a much outdated Android version. Be careful of this when looking at other operating systems as lots are like this. On the other hand GrapheneOS is always up to date
Just get a pixel. Use the enemy’s weapon against them.
