this post was submitted on 05 Sep 2025
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Privacy

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Which option would you recommend: Pixel with Graphene OS (cheapest new phone is $500) OR A Cheap Mototola Budget Phone (new at $200, sometimes on discount at $140) running Lineage OS? (sh.itjust.works)
submitted 1 week ago by DeathByBigSad@sh.itjust.works to c/privacy@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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cross-posted from: https://sh.itjust.works/post/45425575

I mean we all know about the sideloading restriction thing. So I wanna explore alternative OSes, just gathering info, not sure if I'll even end up buying another phone (currently have a Samsung as a main phone, and in North America they are bootloader locked).

Like I know Graphene OS is supposedly more secure, but is it worth paying so much more for a phone? And used phones are kinda sketchy btw, most originate from a carrier so unlockability is in question (I'm not playing the buy/return "lootbox" game lol, so much hassle and its never guaranteed when a seller would even accept a return).

The moto I was looking at apparantly was on CalyxOS's supported list, but they suspended development for some reason, so Lineage is the only Custom ROM left other than Graphene.

Graphene seems cool, but idk if its really that much better. Getting a pixel is directly giving Google the most money, and I don't feel so good about that after they closed sourced Pixel device tree codes (or whatever that thing was called that they closed sourced), and then they killed sideloading, feels wrong to be buying a pixel right now. So that leaves me with just Lineage. And I could get a much cheaper phone too going Lineage.

So TLDR: If you were to recommend a phone to someone, which would you recommend? Expensive phone for Graphene, or Cheap phone and just use Lineage? Or something else?

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[–] DeathByBigSad@sh.itjust.works 4 points 1 week ago

I'm more interested in the freedom aspect (freedom to install software) rather than just the privacy aspect.

I mean, I probably wouldn't be that interested in custom roms if google didnt announce the "sideloading restrictions" bs

As for pinephone, hmm idk I kinda like Android apps. I mean there'a this one Android app called "Wasted" (in Fdroid) that lets you set your phone to auto-wipe if not unlocked for X time so I thought that was really cool.