thinking about paying $500 for a pixel 6 to nuke it and install either lineage or graphene. Main reasons: security, I want to degoogle, hate bloatware, I want complete freedom to choose what apps I want on my device, smartphones are notoriously known for their short support cycles (to me 4 years is not enough).

what I don’t know is why graphene developers have chosen proprietary hardware from what has to be one of the most foss unfriendly companies

  • Too Lazy Didn't Name@lemmy.world
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    8 months ago

    Make sure you dont buy a pixel that was purchased from Verizon. They lock the bootloader to prevent you installing anything else. They’ll refuse to unlock it even if its been paid off

  • scorpionix@feddit.de
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    8 months ago

    7a here. Works like a charm and I was baffled by how easy it was to install.

    The reason for using Pixel phones is afaik that Google is one of or the last vendors who allow a complete unlock/relock of the bootloader alongside having a workable security chip with.which most security features are implemented.

  • dotslashme@infosec.pub
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    8 months ago

    Pixel 6, works like a charm, easy to install, frequent updates and feels like a better version of android.

    • vestmoria@linux.communityOP
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      8 months ago

      frequent updates and feels like a better version of android.

      why is this relevant if I plan to nuke the device and install graphene or lineage on it?

  • Hellmo_luciferrari@lemm.ee
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    7 months ago

    To staty: GrapheneOS devs chose the Pixel line because of the Tensor chip (to my knowledge)

    I have used both LineageOS and GrapheneOS. I like both for very different reasons. Whichever option you choose should depends on your usecase/needs.

    I liied the idea of GrapheneOS and the privacy/securiry features it has. However, there were thing’s I missed about LineageOS. I don’t “need” root access, but i have it with LineageOS. I have it mainly for AdAway and a handful of Magisk modules.

    Your mileage may vary. I suggest giving both a try if you don’t specifically know your usecase/needs.

    Both have separate specific use cases I would argue.

  • dracs@programming.dev
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    8 months ago

    I have been using GrapheneOS on a 7 Pro since the start of the year and it’s been great.

    Similar to you I’m trying to degoogle. I’ve got Google Play Services installed only in a secondary profile which isn’t allowed to run in the background. So it’s only ever able to run when I absolutely need it. Down to only one app now that requires it, so can hopefully remove it completely soon.

    On my primary profile I do still have a few Google apps. Namely Google Camera (GrapheneOS is still in the process of getting full parity with it) and GBoard (haven’t found a open source one I like as much yet). Both of them I’ve denied any network access, so they can’t do any tracking at all.

    I haven’t had any stability issues since I switched. The updates have been pretty frequent and very seamless.

      • Hellmo_luciferrari@lemm.ee
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        7 months ago

        Thank you for the suggestion. This keyboard seems great. Giving it a shot, though I think I am lost as to how to add glide typing. But I’ll read the github. Edit: Github had my answer.

      • dracs@programming.dev
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        8 months ago

        I did see that one a few weeks ago. I haven’t tried it out yet. I keep forgetting to try installing it when I’m around my computer (to manually extract the glide-typing library).

  • scoobford@lemmy.zip
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    8 months ago

    Pixel 8 here (broke my 7 a couple of months ago).

    Works great. Updates are fast, and I keep a work profile with play services and maps installed. The only think I know for that doesn’t work is google pay, which I’ve never understood the use case for.

    • vestmoria@linux.communityOP
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      8 months ago

      broke my 7 a couple of months ago

      physically? or did you nuke the software and couldn’t reboot anymore?

  • Im_old@lemmy.world
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    8 months ago

    I have a pixel7pro with graphene. It works great! All the banking apps work. I have Google services (I really need Google maps), but as they are sandboxed I can stop them when I don’t need them. I don’t use Google play store (aurora store instead and droid-ify). I’d say go for it!

      • Im_old@lemmy.world
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        8 months ago

        I try to use Magic earth as much as possible, also because I like the dashcam feature. But more than once when entering a street address/number it sent me in the wrong spot. Or searching for places by name instead of address I get the right results maybe 50% of the time. But if I know exactly where I want to go and can pinpoint it on the map, it’s great!

        Now tbh I’ve found a bug (or something I can’t figure out anyway) and the sound doesn’t work on graphene. I need to look into it a bit more but can be a problem.

        Never heard of GW maps and the only results seem about Guild Wars maps…

  • nothead@lemmy.world
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    8 months ago

    Bought my pixel 6 directly from google, for the sole purpose of using graphene. No issues whatsoever. I only have one complaint, I can’t use luckypatcher, but most apps work fine. The only ones that give me problems are a small handful of shitty mobile games I wouldn’t have even installed if someone didn’t want to get the refer-a-friend bonuses. Don’t care that they don’t work, at least my bank all is fine.

    When you install graphene, you literally just have five apps and a handful of system apps that are built into android. (I think there were 20 when stock pixel had over 50, and a stock Samsung has 200+)

    • vestmoria@linux.communityOP
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      8 months ago

      When you install graphene, you literally just have five apps and a handful of system apps that are built into android.

      but you can still install libraries like f-droid or droid-ify, right?

  • ViciousTurducken@lemmy.one
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    8 months ago

    GrapheneOS is great on my Pixel 7! App load times are slower, but that is a function of its hardened security.

    To answer your question, Pixels are one of the few devices that allow relocking the bootloader on non-stock software. That in addition to the fact that they have some of the best security of all smartphones.