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[–] 32 points 2 days ago* (19 children)

Get a used pixel 9a for 1/7 the cost, or a new pixel 10a for around 1/4 of the cost

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  • [–] 5 points 2 days ago (13 children)

    It's an option I'll seriously consider when it's time to change my device, but I'd also prefer a device where I don't have to manually change the operating system. I'm neither that much of an expert nor do I have time to spare.

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  • [–] 28 points 2 days ago (1 child)

    It is honestly pretty painless - unlock boot loader, attach device, give appropriate petmission on phone, run install from browser, verify install, lock boot loader.

    That said, a dedicated Grapheme device is so exciting. I am not going to spend ~2k on it tho

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  • [–] 9 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

    This is accurate. I've been flashing phones with custom ROMs for years now, and doing it through the browser makes it both dead easy and pretty safe. You no longer need to be a tech shaman to do it. Just follow the instructions and you're good.

    Also, if you don't like it, you can always go back to stock Android (i.e. what was installed before you started tinkering). It's pretty painless. So roll up your sleeves and explore!

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  • [–] 12 points 2 days ago (3 children)

    You have to press 3 buttons on their website ....

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  • [–] 0 points 1 day ago (2 children)

    Which only works if you use chrome. What is the overlap between gOS users and chrome users?

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  • [–] 3 points 1 day ago

    There is also an offline flasher? Like if you complain that it is too complex, get chromium, flash it with 3 buttons, remove chromium and be happy. If you are deep enough into everything, that you don't want to install chromium to flash your device, use the offline installer.

    How many Chromium users does GOS have? I don't know, but their default browser is Vanadium, which is a chromium browser....

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  • [–] 6 points 2 days ago (3 children)

    I would say that if installing GOS is too complicated for you, you don't really need it. De-googling, privacy and security take more effort than just owning a phone with some specific OS. Simply having GOS on your phone is meaningless if you don't know how to use it properly.

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  • [–] 12 points 2 days ago (2 children)

    Simply having GOS on your phone is meaningless if you don't know how to use it properly.

    Removing spyware from the phone of a complete non-techie means that non-technie has a spyware-free phone.

    Sure, it won't solve every privacy or security concern, but it outright solves a fuck-ton of privacy and security concerns, regardless of how technical the user is.

    I've been handing GrapheneOS phones to young or elderly people in my life for several years, with very good results, compared to leaving them on iOS or stock malwared Android.

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  • [–] 1 point 1 day ago

    Typical user will still install WhatsApp, Instagram, Gmail and Facebook, give them all the permissions and willingly input all their data into them. I really don't see what the benefit of GOS is here. Setting up alternatives for all those apps is more complicated than installing GOS.

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  • [–] 4 points 2 days ago (4 children)

    Yeah until those are no longer supported and these expensive ass Motorolas are the only option BC Google is locking down newer models that won't be able to have GOS installed eventually.

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  • [–] 8 points 2 days ago (1 child)

    It's locking down newer models. Some models still have 6 years of updates ahead of them. It's a bit too early to start panicking about it.

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  • [–] 6 points 2 days ago

    Yes, I said they're slowly locking down the newer models. And yeah, older pixels still have some time. But is this crisis we are in gonna end by the time those pixels lose support or are these Motorolas going to be our only option. That's all I'm pointing out. Yeah, still a little early to panic but if how things have been lately, I think this is looking to be bad for the average person who doesn't have a lot of money. Over $2,000 USD is absolutely insane.

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