I love my iPhone but care more about more about FOSS. All my computers and servers run Linux and I want my phone to as well. GrapheneOS sounds nice but I’m worried about switching from an iPhone. Before getting my first iPhone 7, androids would never last more than a year before they become slow and buggy (LG and Samsung flagships). I also worry about how trustworthy GrapheneOS is, I see them getting in random fights with users on Mastodon—that doesn’t exhibit a stable group to me.
TLDR really love FOSS, considering switching from iPhone but am unsure.
E1 found this on wiki lol
In a detailed review of GrapheneOS for Golem.de, Moritz Tremmel and Sebastian Grüner said they were able to use GrapheneOS similarly to other Android systems, while enjoying more freedom from Google, without noticing differences from “additional memory protection, but that’s the way it should be.” They concluded GrapheneOS cannot change how “Android devices become garbage after three years at the latest”, but “it can better secure the devices during their remaining life while protecting privacy.”
I have a Pixel 8 Pro running GrapheneOS as my personal phone, and have an iPhone provided by work. I can see why people like iOS, but I absolutely prefer Android.
It would be interesting to see a GrapheneOS version of iOS, but Apple will never allow that.
After one years? I’ve been using a Samsung flagship for the past 3+ years and it’s been a fine experience. That said, I don’t have hundreds of apps and use mainly the browser, but I do have a custom launcher and some other QOL stuff.
I’m sure 2023 and 2010s is wildly different too!
I think it would be a great experience for you. If you are super worried you could try on a used device or be open to switch back, as both iPhones and Pixels ahve decent reselling value.
You sound like you are not relying on the Apple ecosystem, so you shouldnt lose out as much as others with lots of other Apple devices/services.
Also GrapheneOS has been the best Android experience I had, because it taught me not tl rely on Google services, embracing FOSS alternatives and actually caring about hoe my phone works / what data my apps can access.
It’s fine. I kinda dislike the devices themselves that are required to run it, though. Too big.
Yes. I switched from iPhone five years ago and never looked back. Do it.
When was the last time you used stock android without gapps? It’s basically like that but what little apps come installed are replaced with more privacy focused ones.
Unless you install some other App Store there’s very few apps. If you’re cool with what’s on the FOSS app stores then great. But some apps I need aren’t on there so the first thing I did was install google play.
Graphene is also fairly hostile towards rooting. So if you want root you gotta fight the OS a little bit.
I have Graphene OS on my pixel, but I could never switch back to android at this point. Sure I’d like more privacy. But I don’t want to hate my phone in order to get it. And I detest androids UI/UX with a burning passion.
Oh also be aware that almost no banking apps will work on it. Many of them will falsely identify your phone as rooted (even when it isn’t) and the isolated GP I think is what trips up the rest.
Oh also be aware that almost no banking apps will work on it. Many of them will falsely identify your phone as rooted (even when it isn’t) and the isolated GP I think is what trips up the rest.
“almost no” is a wild exaggeration. Many do. All mine work perfectly fine. Sure, some do pull this shit, but it’s very much not an “almost no” situation
Literally none of mine work.
I recently got a pixel 10 just to start testing out GrapheneOS. So far I’m liking it a lot; my primary phone is still my old iPhone 13 but I can see switching to GrapheneOS as my next phone.
Full ability to decouple from both Google and Apple, yet maintain usability with restricted Play Store, and ability to customize for nerds like myself……where has this thing been all my life??
What you need to realize is that big tech doesnt want you to use Graphene. Things work great right now, but recognize that Google can essentially break the play store or any apps that rely on it anytime they want. So if you switch, your going to want to slowly wean off big tech. You need to make the phone useable without the play store, because one day, Google is going to pull the plug and block Graphene from being able to use the play store.
Not just the play store, but the android source code too.
One thing these other comments are missing is the huge design philosophy difference between iOS and grapheneOS.
On the iPhone, things are locked down to only what Apple wants you to do, but the UX is polished.
With grapheneOS, you have so much user agency to do things your own way, but this comes with having to make many decisions, a steeper learning curve, and the opportunity to get yourself into trouble. Most users here don’t seem to mind that tradeoff, but for me, it made a big difference.
On the iPhone, things are locked down to only what Apple wants you to do, but the UX is polished.
I found this to be true until IOS 18. It’s so bad now.
You make an interesting point. After I moved to iphone from android I realized I don’t want to customize everything if everything works well. Linux made me learn I care about privacy and FOSS. Wish I could get both!
I have GOS on Pixel 6a. Good, but battery now starting to show it’s age. But this was at 3 years, rather than the 1.5 years I’m used to.
Definitely would recommend.
I keep my phone turned off at nighttime now. It’s been helping
Also have dark theme and a plain dark background.
Do it. I did it three years ago and never looked back.
Android is still slow and buggy. The 8GB of RAM in new Google devices outscales it a tiny bit. Restart daily if you use GrapheneOS (yes, it’s this bad).
I’ve never experienced this and I’ve only had budget android devices since 2018. My partner has had whatever the most expensive iPhone was every 3 years or so. Haven’t noticed a difference in performance for our uses, which aren’t particularly resource intensive, just web browsing, social media, and communication mostly. Light games like stardew valley occasionally. I think you must have gotten unlucky with a bad device.
No it’s just android. The device is fine.
It doesn’t help that Android just keeps zombie processes from Termux open
Is not right, go to settings and adjust it.
Have several google pixel phone immediately upon purchase modified with custom rom operating system graphene os , Ram memory is 8 or 12 Gb ram, + 100 apps, even banc apps
GrapheneOS cannot change how “Android devices become garbage after three years at the latest”
Not true my Oneplus 6T is still going strong!
This is highly dependent on the phone. With Pixels and Xperias I have had them run fine for years, no problem. With Samsung though, it was definitely an issue.
Yeah who is this person and where are they getting this idea from? Are they one of those “reviewers” who tries a £100 phone from an unknown manufacturer and scoffs that it’s not as good as their £1000 iPhone?
I added that review because it’s been my experience with android flagships on the past sadly
Oh really? Not something I’ve ever noticed, batteries degrade and apps become more resource-hungry but most of the devices just keep on doing their thing.
My last android flagship was prior to iphone 7 so I’m sure things can and have changed but it was bad enough to influence me wanting something that I know last. Lot’s of critiques against apple except for how darn long they last.
Do they last a long time? I thought one of the main criticisms was always the planned obsolescence.
My iphone 7 and now iphone 12 pro have zero issues. Only issue with my current 12 pro is battery is less than 80% but honestly still lasts a day. 7 was replaced because I broke it after 4-5 years. 12 is now 5 plus years old and no issues.
Maybe all the phones are better now the technology has matured a bit?
If you can live with very arrogant developers, it’s probably a good choice.
You don’t have to live with the developers. You don’t examine Google or Apple with that kind of scrutiny either, as a user. In fact you can’t, because Google and Apple developers have NDAs and PR to prevent any internal human drama from leaking to the public. Doesn’t mean there is less of it.
With community-driven open source projects, almost everything happens in public, so you can dig up all that, and drama gets amplified through social media. If you want the illusion of something free of imperfect humans, better stick to the corporate stuff, I guess.
If you don’t want arrogant developers being involved in your software you might as well move to a cottage in the woods and forsake modern society. Actually, that might be a good idea either way.
Copy paste of my own comment:
The paranoid security-obsessed developer who is focused on making the best software to the point of being rude and isolationist is not the kind of person I’d want to hang out with but kind of is the person I want doing security work for the device I have all my personal info on. Sure it would be nicer if they weren’t so abrasive but I’d rather they channel an angry Linus Torvalds than some slick weasel-wordy Steve Jobs.
Steve Jobs was more of an angry asshole than Linus Torvalds. Jobs’ rants were to people’s faces rather than on mailing lists. They are both uncompromising visionaries, however.
I just picked him because he’s probably the most well known bullshit-merchant “face” of a tech company, feel free to swap him out for someone even worse!
If you need a different example, you’re always free to use Elon “full self driving in two years” Musk.
I recently switched from iPhone to my old OnePlus 7 and I’m using LineageOS with microG. I might have used GrapheneOS if it had been available to more than Pixel phones but I’m pretty happy with LineageOS.
