I’ve been about, and so far, almost everyone’s advice has been, “Buy a Pixel and install Graphene,” which I think is frankly quite unrealistic. Even the cheapest device that’s still supported (Pixel 6) is still about $200 refurbished, and that apparently loses support one month later (October 2026).
So basically, are there any options for people who aren’t wealthy?
Buy a phone supported by LineageOS. If the phone doesn’t have bootloader relocking, you’re pretty much trading security for privacy, but it really depends on your threat model. Lineage does support a much wider array of devices, whereas GrapheneOS only supports Pixels (until their partnership with Motorola kicks off), and CalyxOS supports Pixels, Motorolas, FairPhones and the Shiftphone 8.
CalyxOS, huh? I haven’t heard of that, and it seems to support some fairly reasonable devices.
Fun fact, the guy begins calyx was the first ever to successfully challenge A national security letter ever. The current darknet diaries episode tells that story.
Oh, wow, that’s actually super interesting to me. I’m gonna have to look that up, thanks.
I used CalyxOS prior to GrapheneOS, and I’d say Calyx is just as reliable as GrapheneOS. Give it a shot if you have or can purchase a phone that supports it.
https://calyxos.org/