There aren’t too many OEMs that sell worldwide. So that would be one of Samsung, Sony, Moto, OnePlus.
I hope Sony simply because I want a headphone jack and an MicroSD card reader. Their phones are already pretty bloat free and their custom apps, usually focused on the camera system, would mesh very well with GrapheneOS. Would be a great way for them to become relevant again.
Hot take, but no alt phone will reach critical mass without those features. They need support from even the most stubborn users
If the Graphene phone wants to presents itself as a consumer-first phone, I agree.
How repairable are Sony smartphones?
I don’t know, never broke mine.
Samsung doesn’t really rely on Snapdragon too much, so that might be out.
The US-based flagships do.
Yeah, but European ones don’t (or at least last time I checked). I guess that would be a hassle for them to keep compatibility.
Samsung is also a synonym for useless bloat, locked boatloaders, intrusive ads, and every other hostile feature ever. They are the last one to open up their phones.
True. But my S3 ran like a young racehorse when I installed Cyanogen back in the third age, when the orcs still roamed Rohan.
Not certain Sony counts as worldwide anymore since they seem to have retreated from the US.
According to details shared on Reddit, the partnered manufacturer will offer GrapheneOS support on future versions of their existing models, priced similarly to Pixels. These initial devices will feature flagship Snapdragon processors, which GrapheneOS notes provide significantly better CPU and GPU performance compared to Google’s Tensor chips. The Snapdragon platform also bundles high-quality wireless connectivity, eSIM support, and decent image processing capabilities directly into the system-on-chip.
Oh thank you. Let’s hope for something nice for a change.
This might be it. This might be the alt phone to defeat all others. Flagship chip + graphineOS features and long term support is a killer killer deal.
I’m skeptical. Even knowing how paranoid Daniel is about, well…everything.
Who remembers the last time a custom ROM got an OEM deal? It is the reason Lineage OS exists today…
With everything Google is doing with Android, they might not have a choice. It’s either this or possibly one day no longer being able to work on Graphene.
Graphene would be better off cutting themselves off from Google’s OS future entirely and pivot the fork as quickly as possible to remove all dependencies. Probably too arrogant to consider it, though. Also becomes much more work.
Google will forever control Android. I would prefer if he just worked on Linux (phone & desktop) to the benefit of all.
You’re under-thinking it.
In pseudo-correct but probably not order:
- Step 1: Collect underpants
- Step 2: Keep receiving Google security updates but stop updating Google mainline
- Step 3: Start replacing the underbelly to just raw Linux (or BSD or whatever) and slowly shift the “Android” portion to a VM/container
- Step 4: RIL and other stuff (probably should happen first) have to be packaged up and become their new entity on the modem side (also probably the biggest challenge, but manufacturers and ODMs provide dev kits)
- Step 5: ???
- Step 6: Once the Android side is safely firewalled away from the core OS, start embracing something like PostmarketOS
- Step 7: GUI/graphics are built out with the Android pieces still running in a container
- Step 8: Start writing applications that replace the Android applications, go one by one, remove dependence on each Android application as you go while still maintaining compatibility (I mean the core OS ones that make the device at least basically functional, the F/OSS devs will have to each rewrite/change their apps, or some other magic can be inserted here that isn’t really magic.)
- Step 9: Once the OS itself is beefed up enough, retain Android container for the needs of some for some uncomfortably long frustrating time to maintain, but not too long
- Step 10: Have Obtainium/F-Droid/etc. all simultaneously pivot and start providing apps for the native OS as well as maintaining backwards compatibility with the Android apps in the container
- Step 11: Once some magic point, forced or otherwise happens, sunset the Android portion of the app stores. Keep the containerized Android around a little longer
- Step 12: Sunset the Android container, at this point the phone should be running 100% “native” OS and apps and store
- Step 14: Profit!
There are industry blueprints for this. Apple is probably the best example of how to implement these shifts, from OS 9 (co-op MT proprietary OS)->OS X (BSD-NextStep-based Unix OS), 68k->PPC, Replacing Unix underpinnings with Apple Frameworks, PPC->Intel, OS X->iOS, Mac from Intel->ARM, etc. etc. They frequently used containerization to keep the old running while the new was built up around it and replaced. It is a solid proven design pattern.
And edit72: I’m not just saying “hey magic people do this” - I’ve done this shit. I’m down to help, and I will. But the project owners need to step up for some actual work instead of just putting potpourri on something someone else built. Annoying side-story, I figured out how to cross-compile/rebuild/fix dependencies on a CPAP app called Oscar so it would be ARM-native on ARM Macs. Couldn’t figure out how to contact the devs after much digging to let them know, so. I have 1 of 1 copy of that app running ARM-MacOS native. Would be neat to help them replicate it though.
I think that sounds like a damn solid plan, personally. Not sure if the GrapheneOS devs would go for it. The lead dev (who I think stepped down, so may not be a factor now) had some strongly negative opinions towards a Linux phone due to all of its security holes compared to Android, but like… It’s not as if those things couldn’t be addressed like you describe. It would just take time.
Google has more people working in Android then GrapheneOS does, it’s not possible for them to go completely independent.
I dearly remember my OnePlus One with CyanogenMod, if that answers your question?
But do you remember the clusterfuck that was Cyanogen Inc?
Nope, only from what I’ve read about it more recently. Back then I was just hyped about getting an even smarter smartphone with a better OS and all the new possibilities it brought to me. It was by no means my first smartphone, and I had already explored using my phones in interesting, useful or smart ways, but the OnePlus One felt like a very big upgrade in my daily life, especially since things were moving pretty fast on that area 10-15 years ago. CyanogenMod was definitely an important part of that improved Android experience, and I don’t think the corporation clusterfuck affected that, really, as I did not at all notice what was going on over there.
That situation destroyed CM and its team. Lineage OS was the proverbial phoenix that rose from the ashes of CM.
Yeah, I knew about LOS being the continuation of CM, and it seems to be still going strong with support for a multitude of devices, which is great!
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So who do we think? It’s not Fair phone and it sounds like it’s not oneplus. I’ll be needing a new phone within the next couple of years, if they roll it out soonish
I mean those are the first two I’d suspect too. Maybe Sony or Pico? They’re both pretty dev friendly.
I hope it’s Sony
Sony is sooooo expensive though…
They said it’d be on par with a Pixel, so either a reasonable Sony or not Sony…
The Sony xperia 10 VII has a micro SD slot and a 3.5mm port so I’m hoping Sony too.
Edit: looks like the OEM selected doesn’t have compatible phones today but would in 26’
I’ve completely forgotten that Sony makes phones also, but this phone is great on paper. So much so that, next year, when I will be switching back to Android from an unfortunate ios hiatus, I will definitely consider one (maybe viii? ). Thanks for reminding me.
Yeah, but the cpu sucks…. How can I justify to myself going from an iPhone 11 to something with a worse cpu
Praying from this end of my Sony xperia
I hope Nokia
They are called HMD now.
I actually think this could be it. Nokia has always been a little adventurous with their operating systems, and I think they are eager to claw back their old reputation.
It’s not.
Have a friend who works at a decently high position here in Finland and they actually are considering exiting the smartphone market all together because the margins are too small and they make easy more money on other things, like 5G equipment. They kind of want to move past being associated with phones basically.
Nokia just extended their existing contract with HMD for several years. Doesn’t seem like they’re going anywhere in the foreseeable future.
Thank Microsoft.
I’d love an HTC again
About fucking time.
Qualcomm isn’t exactly the best vendor to choose either. They’re US-based, closely-aligned with the US government as a military contractor, and the baseband/processor are heavily integrated on many chipsets, even sharing memory. That means a compromised carrier network could twiddle bits that the operating system sees, if they so wanted. Among many other issues.
There’s something about a Samsung Exynos designed to spec by Google that is actually more desirable even with the lack of compute performance. More fingers in the pot, less chance of some sneakiness working its way in.
Fuck Samsung.
Bixby! Bixby is on a fridge!
I can’t wait to hear more. Please just make a phone that I’ll want to buy. My phone is 4 years old and there’s just nothing I want to replace it with yet.
It has become less and less of an issue over time though. Not only have I gotten used to using my phone FAR less with positive health results, but I have set myself up to have access to my Linux PC during the “chill with the family on the couch” times in the evening when one might zone out on their phone for a bit. That’s what I’m using right now!
I’ll hold off on a new phone to watch for this. Android could be great without Google’s nonsense. An OS that has high end hardware support and continues to work on convergence with desktop Linux both by the communities development and Google’s
Exactly. Google is evil, and I don’t want Google-related things on my phone.
Every cell phone manufacturer has some interest in diversifying the operating systems. Because Google develops Android and sells its own cell phones, it has an unfair market edge. And now Google is threatening to filter out apps that it doesn’t like which makes the risk even higher.
So we can be sure all of the other major manufacturers of Android phones have considered if they’d like to support other distributions.
Maybe they will make deal with other distributors to ship their exclusive app stores and so that would be a good economic move for them
All I know is that whoever partners up with PostmarketOS, Mobian, and Ubuntu Touch will win big
Let’s hope so. This should be my last Pixel if it all plays out like that.
manufacturer will offer GrapheneOS support on future versions of their existing models, priced similarly to Pixels.
Great, so I still won’t afford it…
I paid $120 for each Pixel I own.
I refuse to pay a premium to have the “latest and greatest gadget”
How’s the battery life so far on the phones you’ve had?
Pixels will be supported until EoL. You can get a used Pixel 8a or 9a, which will get supported until May 2031 and April 2032 respectively. Both feature modern, important hardware security features, such as the ARM memory tagging extension.
I wonder if this will have a significant negative impact on Pixel sales.
The only reason I bought a Pixel is for GrapheneOS and the only reason my SO has one is also GrapheneOS.
I can’t see how it would. Techies are the only people who know what GrapheneOS is, and even then it’s a small percentage of us. The average person still asks if you have an iPhone or a Samsung.
I hope it takes off, but even if it does the dent will be small.
I would assume it will, if the SoC performance is in the same ballpark. Pixels have good NPU specs but their CPU, GPU and RAM feel like mid range options compared to snapdragons. So I don’t think that’s a high bar to hit. I don’t run graphene because I’m not buying a google phone, but I would consider running it on something else.
Yes it well. Their chips are pathetic and they seem to have no motivation to do anything about it.
The phone market is very saturated
I doubt it will have any effect
I want to try GrapheneOS. But my current Samsung phone still works. If I ever do switch, I would be looking for a Pixel on the local resale market so as to avoid giving Google money, anyway.
Used Pixels are cheap.
I have three, paid about $120 for each one.
Using current phone rather than buying a different one to replace it is a lot less ewaste.
I am also going to see what happens with Graphene’s new partnership. I don’t really like the idea of being locked down to specific hardware.
It’s what I did. I bought a used pixel 8 and only regretted it after the recent strong of Google shenanigans. I’m still looking for a proper Linux phone solution in the meantime. I’d rather not have to be reliant on anything Google does in the future.
That’s fair, I don’t like being tied down to their hardware either.
I thought the exclusivity was because of Googles superior chip security?
Partially. It’s more that Google’s overall architecture was better for security, inclusive of many different features.
You can find a big ass list here: https://grapheneos.org/faq#future-devices
Snapdragons finally somewhat caught up to Google’s Tensors and the Titan M with the Qualcomm SPU and by implementing the ARM MTE
Lol wut
Disappointed to learn about Fairphone lagging behind in terms of security… I really wanted to get one. But still good news I guess.
I’m not saying the information about Fairphone is wrong, but you shouldn’t assume it’s all as bad as they made it out to be. You’re reading a marketing pitch from one group that works with one vendor saying why another vendor isn’t that good.
GrapheneOS has criticized Fairphone from a security perspective for a long time, long before any partnerships with OEMs were ever made. GrapheneOS chose to partner with this specific company (which they don’t want to broadly disclose yet) because they have shown, that they actually care about security, and are willing to invest time and effort to meet the GrapheneOS device requirements, not the other way around.
Not really a ‘Fairphone issue’ and more a general ‘smartphone issue’. The vast majority of OEMs don’t invest into security and just use random parts with mostly stock Android. Sometimes they actually make it worse by replacing AOSP apps with their less secure ones. Which sadly will become more common with Google abandoning AOSP.
Fairphone simply isn’t focused on security. Should that change? Are Fairphone users interested in improved security?
Not too surprising as they don’t have the same company size, it’s hard to keep up.
Please be Motorola and put it on my Razr+…
I’m hoping for motorola too.
Don’t know if that’s an existing phone because from what I read the new integration will be for a new/next gen device. So not anything that’s on the market now
Yah, a guy can dream though, can’t he?
Add Nokia, Brax, and other smaller phone companies that actually value privacy, open-source, repairability, linux, and consumer-friendly then we got a deal
Brax?? Lol
Hey I don’t know a whole lot about it but it seems kinda interesting
Some are saying dude is a snake-oil saleperson. Idk always felt a bad vibe about that youtube channel.
Yes definitely never buy anything from him
Hope for Motorola but for some reason I want to put a guess in for LG
LG who exited the smartphone market in 2021?
FR?
Yeah mate, long gone. Real shame that, loved their V-series.
oops all Xiaomi!
largest market share outside of Samsung and Apple.
