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Ask HN: How to have a secure smart phone in 2022

My understanding is that if I want a safe, secure, and private smart phone (no personal data being siphoned off to google or apple etc) I have 2 choices in 2022: 1. Don't have a smart phone 2. Spend around $600 on a pixel 6 and replace the stock android OS with GrapheneOS. Am I wrong? I would love to be proven wrong!

ev1 5y ago
A Pixel 4a or 5a is $200-400 and works fine with Graphene. Don't get anything below 4a in terms of age if that is your plan. Also, they have back hardware fingerprint reader instead of in-screen with the 6/6 Pro which has been orders of magnitude more responsive, at least for me. I routinely have issues with the in-screen readers.
- throwaway54313 5y ago
  My concern with getting a pixel less than 6 is that the phone would only be supported for a year or two by google which means I'd have to get a new phone or have firmware that is not receiving security patches.
  - ev1 5y ago
    Wait, is that not what Graphene is for?
    - throwaway54313 5y ago
      My limited understanding is that smart phones also have firmware that is distributed by the manufacturer that also requires security updates. So grapheneos takes care of the operating system, but google would need to provide the firmware updates. I think this is one of the reasons why the graphene docs recommend a pixel 6/6a, as they have an unusually (for android) long support life from google - 5 years or so.
MerelyMortal 5y ago
Apparently the Librem 5 has been making a lot of progress on being usable, but there's still a long delay between placing an order and getting it. https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=30760883 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=30760883
- throwaway54313 5y ago
  I'd love to get a linux phone but the librem wait time seems to be at least a year (that blogger said he'd been waiting since 2018) and the librem5 is $1200. I can't really justify spending that much on a phone.
  - MerelyMortal 5y ago
    There appears to be an inverse relationship between cost and delivery delay. I paid around $650, but I had to wait four years :-) It's worth it though. If you can afford it, I recommend ordering now to get your place in line. The software will be better then at least.
    - deleted 5y ago
      [deleted]
    - akc3n 5y ago
      - MerelyMortal 5y ago
        Your comment history is soley comprised of talking up GrapheneOS and calling the Librem 5 a scam. Also, please don't "yell" at me and insinuate that I am a scammer. https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html
        akc3n 5y ago
retrofeel 5y ago
throwawayHN378 5y ago
Also you need to buy the Pixel directly from Google. If you buy from carrier you can opt too the Pixel
- throwaway54313 5y ago
  What does "If you buy from carrier you can opt too the Pixel" mean? Sorry if I am being dense.
  - ev1 5y ago
    You can not root [I assume autocorrect]/bootloader unlock the Pixel if you buy a carrier phone in the US. The carrier or network unlock status does not matter. They will not let you bootloader unlock it to put your own OS on. It does not matter if you pay 100% of it, not financed, etc. If it's sold by them it's disabled. Examples: https://forum.xda-developers.com/t/unlocking-pixel-5-for-verizon.4194933/ https://forum.xda-developers.com/t/unlocking-pixel-5-for-ver... https://support.google.com/pixelphone/thread/156939637/pixel-6-t-mobile-oem-unlock-bootloader?hl=en https://support.google.com/pixelphone/thread/156939637/pixel... https://www.reddit.com/r/GooglePixel/comments/bmdtlu/tmobile_pixel_3a_is_not_bootloader_unlockable/ https://www.reddit.com/r/GooglePixel/comments/bmdtlu/tmobile...

ev1 5y ago

A Pixel 4a or 5a is $200-400 and works fine with Graphene. Don't get anything below 4a in terms of age if that is your plan. Also, they have back hardware fingerprint reader instead of in-screen with the 6/6 Pro which has been orders of magnitude more responsive, at least for me. I routinely have issues with the in-screen readers.

throwaway54313 5y ago
My concern with getting a pixel less than 6 is that the phone would only be supported for a year or two by google which means I'd have to get a new phone or have firmware that is not receiving security patches.
- ev1 5y ago
  Wait, is that not what Graphene is for?
  - throwaway54313 5y ago
    My limited understanding is that smart phones also have firmware that is distributed by the manufacturer that also requires security updates. So grapheneos takes care of the operating system, but google would need to provide the firmware updates. I think this is one of the reasons why the graphene docs recommend a pixel 6/6a, as they have an unusually (for android) long support life from google - 5 years or so.

MerelyMortal 5y ago

Apparently the Librem 5 has been making a lot of progress on being usable, but there's still a long delay between placing an order and getting it. https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=30760883 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=30760883

throwaway54313 5y ago
I'd love to get a linux phone but the librem wait time seems to be at least a year (that blogger said he'd been waiting since 2018) and the librem5 is $1200. I can't really justify spending that much on a phone.
- MerelyMortal 5y ago
  There appears to be an inverse relationship between cost and delivery delay. I paid around $650, but I had to wait four years :-) It's worth it though. If you can afford it, I recommend ordering now to get your place in line. The software will be better then at least.
  - deleted 5y ago
    [deleted]
  - akc3n 5y ago
    - MerelyMortal 5y ago
      Your comment history is soley comprised of talking up GrapheneOS and calling the Librem 5 a scam. Also, please don't "yell" at me and insinuate that I am a scammer. https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html
      - akc3n 5y ago

retrofeel 5y ago

throwawayHN378 5y ago

Also you need to buy the Pixel directly from Google. If you buy from carrier you can opt too the Pixel

throwaway54313 5y ago
What does "If you buy from carrier you can opt too the Pixel" mean? Sorry if I am being dense.
- ev1 5y ago
  You can not root [I assume autocorrect]/bootloader unlock the Pixel if you buy a carrier phone in the US. The carrier or network unlock status does not matter. They will not let you bootloader unlock it to put your own OS on. It does not matter if you pay 100% of it, not financed, etc. If it's sold by them it's disabled. Examples: https://forum.xda-developers.com/t/unlocking-pixel-5-for-verizon.4194933/ https://forum.xda-developers.com/t/unlocking-pixel-5-for-ver... https://support.google.com/pixelphone/thread/156939637/pixel-6-t-mobile-oem-unlock-bootloader?hl=en https://support.google.com/pixelphone/thread/156939637/pixel... https://www.reddit.com/r/GooglePixel/comments/bmdtlu/tmobile_pixel_3a_is_not_bootloader_unlockable/ https://www.reddit.com/r/GooglePixel/comments/bmdtlu/tmobile...