We're well into the process of converting the Messaging app included in GrapheneOS into a modern app. We'll be making a new release later today with a completely overhauled user interface written in Android Compose. We've made a massive amount of other improvements and bug fixes beyond that too.
These are welcome changes but I hope they will address the elephant in the room sooner or later. They can’t go on depending on Pixels and hardware memory tagging. They need a roadmap for opening up the project to more phone models and they need it yesterday.
They’ve drummed up some publicity with the journalist debacle so it’s a good time to use that. But people who hear about Graphene will want to have some phone choices. “Get an old Pixel” is about to age like milk.
Which is better than nothing but I can’t help but see it as walking into another exclusive partnership. Also, none of those phones are out yet so I’ll believe it when I see it.
Even if it pans out and there will be one Motorola phone supporting GrapheneOS out of the box in 2027, there’s the issue of how much it will cost (I think it’s supposed to be a “flagship”), what markets it will be available in, what the unlock process and conditions will be like etc.
Last but not least I doubt Lenovo’s commitment to “seven years of proper updates”, which I will also believe when I see. Their track record for Android updates is notoriously poor. They claim 3-5 major Android updates for most of their models but the best I’ve actually seen them do is one update (13 to 14) – and that’s for phones released 2-3 years ago. If that’s the pace they wanna go we’ll be lucky to get two updates in those 7 years.
Blame the manufacturers for not including hardware security on cheaper phones. It would be nice to not have to pay a premium for sufficient security, or to have sandboxed Play Services on a less secure phone for example, but it’s simply not GrapheneOS if you gut a lot of features that make people trust in it. That’s not GrapheneOS’s fault.
Same principal as Privacy Guides. They’re not going to recommend something that’s doesn’t meet their requirements. You will not see them recommend Windows no matter how many people comment “but how do I use Windows privately?” You can’t. That’s why it isn’t recommended.
If I remember correctly they didn’t say that no other phones would never be supported, but yeah unfortunately for now the ability to put graphene on lower end phones is still quite far away
Yep.
I value my privacy and would pay some for it.
But I’m not paying 1000 bucks for any phone. Even half as much is hard to swallow for me.
My phone is a privacy issue for me. I try to do what I can but between bad or no support of GrapheneOS or LineageOS for my devices, it’s already a bad start.
These are welcome changes but I hope they will address the elephant in the room sooner or later. They can’t go on depending on Pixels and hardware memory tagging. They need a roadmap for opening up the project to more phone models and they need it yesterday.
They’ve drummed up some publicity with the journalist debacle so it’s a good time to use that. But people who hear about Graphene will want to have some phone choices. “Get an old Pixel” is about to age like milk.
Well good new is that they’ve already partnered with Motorola to make GrapheneOS available on (at least some) of their phones
Which is better than nothing but I can’t help but see it as walking into another exclusive partnership. Also, none of those phones are out yet so I’ll believe it when I see it.
Even if it pans out and there will be one Motorola phone supporting GrapheneOS out of the box in 2027, there’s the issue of how much it will cost (I think it’s supposed to be a “flagship”), what markets it will be available in, what the unlock process and conditions will be like etc.
Last but not least I doubt Lenovo’s commitment to “seven years of proper updates”, which I will also believe when I see. Their track record for Android updates is notoriously poor. They claim 3-5 major Android updates for most of their models but the best I’ve actually seen them do is one update (13 to 14) – and that’s for phones released 2-3 years ago. If that’s the pace they wanna go we’ll be lucky to get two updates in those 7 years.
On their flagship phones.
Blame the manufacturers for not including hardware security on cheaper phones. It would be nice to not have to pay a premium for sufficient security, or to have sandboxed Play Services on a less secure phone for example, but it’s simply not GrapheneOS if you gut a lot of features that make people trust in it. That’s not GrapheneOS’s fault.
Same principal as Privacy Guides. They’re not going to recommend something that’s doesn’t meet their requirements. You will not see them recommend Windows no matter how many people comment “but how do I use Windows privately?” You can’t. That’s why it isn’t recommended.
If I remember correctly they didn’t say that no other phones would never be supported, but yeah unfortunately for now the ability to put graphene on lower end phones is still quite far away
Because it supports it in hardware. But I agree, that should be optional which would make Graphene available on many other devices.
Yep. I value my privacy and would pay some for it.
But I’m not paying 1000 bucks for any phone. Even half as much is hard to swallow for me.
My phone is a privacy issue for me. I try to do what I can but between bad or no support of GrapheneOS or LineageOS for my devices, it’s already a bad start.