They run GrapheneOS Wonderfully...
Personally, I gave up on google as a whole
Same. I have come to trust Apple’s commitment and attitude towards user privacy substantially more than Google. I actually know a person that works in a fairly high middle management position in a technical department at the fruit company, and he told me that even their internal handling of user data is incredibly restrictive, even when it makes their jobs harder. I don’t think Apple is perfect, but better than the alternative.
Apple's commitment to privacy is just marketing:
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2022/sep/23/apple-user-data-law-enforcement-falling-short
https://www.cyberghostvpn.com/privacyhub/apple-privacy-violations/
Not saying Google is any better, but Apple is much worse than they paint in adverts
Pixel is the only game in town for anyone who wants a secure and privacy friendly smartphone as they're the only ones that run GrapheneOS.
I do like the look of the 9, especially finally being able to get a smaller Pro model but the prices are getting silly and my 7 Pro is still working fine. Maybe the 10 or 11.
I'm also keeping an eye on Fairphone but they need to add all the hardware GrapheneOS needs to support them for me to be interested. And it'd help if they weren't launching with last gen specs. Fairphone 5 came out after my P7P but is inferior in most ways, I just can't justify paying for a downgrade as much as I support the mission.
And it'd help if they weren't launching with last gen specs. Fairphone 5 came out after my P7P but is inferior in most ways, I just can't justify paying for a downgrade as much as I support the mission
Right? I like the idea of Fair phone and Linux phones as well, but they always seem to slap in mediocre hardware at best.
Even the latest Fairphone 5, like you said, comes with a Qualcomm QCM6490 from late 2021. It wasn't designed for phones and can't even compete against the Tensor G2, a processor already widely regarded as crap
Yeah, as a Graphene user, there simply aren't any other options. I could switch to Calyx or e/OS, but none of the phones they support are really worth it.
Unless I decide I need whatever satellite SMS support Google brings with the 9 (I live very remote, and rely on wifi calling 95% of the time), I'll probably target the Pixel 11. My Pixel 8 should be fine until then, and I imagine they'll work through most of the issues their first fully in house SoC has in the Pixel 10.
And hey, maybe they'll decide to make the regular small Pixel smaller than the small Pixel Pro, by then.
Google is the only one implementing the full spec for bootloader relocking with custom keys, so as far as I'm concerned they're the only viable manufacturer now (RIP OnePlus, you used to be good).
The default UX on most phones just plain outright sucks. I keep hearing Samsung is better, IMO modern OneUI sucks just as much as TouchWiz sucked. Everyone tries to differentiate themselves by how much bloatware they load up on the phone so customers go wow it's got so many features! Lately they're all in on the AI fad as well, and subscriptions, and their own store.
Been a custom ROM user forever, and I have no intention of letting go of that. My phone is almost 5 years old now, and it still runs better than the out of the box experience of any phones on display at the stores. Raw hardware performance is utterly useless if the stock OS immediately wastes it all and some more.
So I'm not excited about the Pixels but they're also the only viable option.
Do wallet/banking apps still work on a custom rom?
Do you lose out on anything?
Wallet no. For banking apps it depends on the app. For me about 80 percent work
Pixel phones have been too big for me for a while. They won't fit in my pockets comfortably and I don't want to have to stretch to reach the top of the screen. Come out with something 5.75" tall or less and I'll re-engage.
Yes. My Zenfone 8 is "small" but I want it even more compact. My old Sony Xperia XZ1 Compact is the perfect size!
The pixel 8 was exciting because it was the 1st android smartphone which broke the usual 5 years of update cycle and jumped to 7 years. Making other OEMs like Samsung and OnePlus to play catchup.
Pixel 9 appears like a minor improvement in comparison. Hopefully, the SOC provides improved battery life due to better modem, and modern ARM cortex cores.
The pixel 8 was exciting because it was the 1st android smartphone which broke the usual 5 years of update cycle and jumped to 7 years.
The Pixel 8 also has MTE support.
Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro are ARMv9 devices supporting hardware memory tagging...Hardware memory tagging is going to provide a massive increase to protection against remote exploitation for GrapheneOS users. It's the biggest security feature we'll be shipping since we started in 2014.
https://discuss.grapheneos.org/d/8439-mte-support-status-for-grapheneos
I was always a cheap Nexus/Pixel A guy that traded up when the new budget phones went for sale on the Play store. I got my 6A for like 150 bucks brand new. When the 8A was announced for 500 dollars and barely better than the 6A I jumped to a refurbished 7 Pro and I'll probably just keep this phone until something really special comes out or I just abandon carrying a cellphone all together [most likely.]
Google Fi and every banking app ive tried work fine on Graphene, Android auto as well. The only thing that definitely does not work is google pay
I use google pay as much as humanly possible so that's not an option for me unfortunately.
I'm riding this 6a all the way to bricktown, then I'm switching to a repairable alternative. Also never buying Google hardware or registering for Google services ever again.
Do you have any prospects in mind for a repairable phone? I'm of a similar mindset, but the premium on the existing 'repairable' phones out there is so high that I don't feel like I can justify it.
No not really. I said it a bit vague because I think because of EU mandates more phones will be repairable(Soon TM hopefully). I wholly agree with you about the price of, for example, Fairphones. On the other hand my usage has changed radically from 10y ago, and consequently my phone is holding on much longer, so I'm saving up in the extra years this phone is surviving for a more expensive and arguably worse phone except for the repairability. Every day, it becomes worth more and more to me to be as independent from (large) corpo's as possible, so effectively it's becoming a better and better deal 😊. Same story for laptops, except it's Framework instead of Fairphone
I have a pixel 8, and a pixel 6 before that. The same bugs have followed me the whole time. I guess PiP, keyboard, bubbles, and graphical issues just aren't being worked on. I'm waiting on Apple sideloading updates before I'm upgrading, but this is a piece of shit. I would try another OS, but I am afraid of getting banking apps and Google Fi working.
Neither? I am more wary after the launch of 6 and the issues, but I also say 'neither' because I'm simply not in the market for a new device.
I'm still sitting on my LG V60 and dreading the day I have to lose my headphone jack and micro SD slot.
I loved my V60 (and my V20 before it). They were such great phones.
I've been wanting to buy a Pixel for a while now (for GrapheneOS), but there's always something that bothers me too much.
This time around, the Pixel 9 pro sounds like it will be great, but I'll be waiting to see Google's custom SoC using TSMC for the Pixel 10.
I could always just get the 9 later at a lower price or used.didn't the 8 just come out. I recently got a 7 to save some bucks.
The 8a came out this spring. The 8/Pro was last fall I believe.
Never given the slightest flying fuck about flagship phones.
Current phone is an A52 that I bought on sale and intended to use for at least 4yrs.
Stop feeding the bullshit machine!!!
I'm still waiting for a reason to upgrade my 6, so I might skip 9. I think I'd upgrade if we get 20-40x optical zoom. Otherwise, I'm not sure what a more powerful phone will do for me.
I have already said "goodbye google" and "hello moto", but long story short I had to factory reset my old Pixel 6 last night and ran smack dab into this:
https://9to5google.com/2024/07/01/pixel-6-reset-bricking-reports/
Right now I don't even know how to turn the damn thing off. 😆
I'd like to get a Pixel for GrapheneOS but I'm sorta waiting to see if the upcoming fold has pen support. If not, I'll probably just get an earlier model since it's cheaper.
I wouldn't say "excited", as I don't know of it having any specific advantages over what's already on the market.
I'm quite fond of my 7 and 8 though. Battery life and cell reception could be better, but I've never found either to be less than satisfactory.
They'll probably use another mediocre modem that will again make cellular reception mediocre. Until they fix that problem, there is no reason to take that phone line seriously.
Will not touch Apple, Samsung or Google HW. Apple & Samsung too expensive. Google because ... SQUIRREL ... what the fuck, cancel it.
Pixels have very good custom rom support. With that being said I like moto.
Moved to pixel from HTC for the fast software updates. My next phone will likely be a pine phone or something similar; build quality on my last two pixels hasn't exactly been up to snuff.
I have an 8. Also owned a 7 (but I do lots of hiking and broke the glass on the 7, so couldn't trust the waterproofing anymore, so upgraded).
Why would I give up on their hardware though?
Bought a pixel 3 as soon as the 4 was released.
It was a fantastic phone... except for the two times it got stuck in a boot loop until the battery died.
Bonus points for the second time, when, thanks to a google update for emergency services, it decided it should dial emergency services every time it restarted...meaning I had to stay up until 330am that night, hanging up on emergency services, until the battery finally died.
A year or two ago, I bought a P7 Pro to replace it, hoping it'd have all the good of the P3, but with better camera, bigger screen, and no boot loop.
It is indeed bigger, the camera can zoom more, but isn't necessarily better, there's no boot loop issues which is great...but I find i have more cases of the phone locking up and needing a restart...and the in-screen fingerprint sensor (and gesture controls) are absolute hot garbage compared to the P3.
The fingerprint and gesture annoyances have been enough that my plan now, unless there's something significant that changes things, is to go back to an iPhone for my next phone.
You can turn off the weird gesture shit and go back to the three buttons in settings.
"Navigation mode" -> "3-button navigation"
TBH the lack of a back button is one of the things I dislike about iPhones
Rear fingerprint scanner though...I miss it so much
except for the two times it got stuck in a boot loop until the battery died.
Did the emergency shut-off (holding down the volume down and power buttons at the same time) not work?
I have a pixel 6 and my wife has an 8 pro. We've had pixels since 3. They've been good phones and we plan to keep getting pixels when we need to upgrade.
I tend to get a new phone every other year. I bought a phone last year so I will probably be excited to see the Pixel 10 next year!
3rd option. I'm not excited about the 9, but I'm sticking with the Pixel 8 I already own. I'll upgrade to whatever Pixel number adds enough new features to justify the cost.
I never buy new phones but I am excited to see used pixel 8s get cheaper!
