most people for whom I help configure their phones they don’t want to buy a new one. and they are often terribly afraid of used phones. I don’t have any google services on my phone, the problem is not about me, but lets be honest, the absolute majority of the world’s population
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MXX53@programming.dev 2 months agoBuy a used pixel in cash, install Graphene. This is probably the best way to accomplish running without google services.
ReversalHatchery@beehaw.org 2 months ago
EngineerGaming@feddit.nl 2 months ago
Why such an obsession with used Pixels? While $300 for mine was expensive, it wasn’t a lottery when buying at least, and its battery didn’t come pre-worn. Also I had no trouble buying it in cash.
flora_explora@beehaw.org 2 months ago
Because no one should give Google any more money! Buying second hand/refurbished is the only way it makes sense for me to get a device by a large corporation like that.
I’ve had a couple of refurbished pixel phones and they’ve each worked well for years. The battery health was at about 95% when I bought them I think.
EngineerGaming@feddit.nl 2 months ago
But by that logic, the unofficial reseller I buy from has also already paid Google for the phones they’re selling now…
LoveSausage@discuss.tchncs.de 2 months ago
Google do Google stuff not because they are evil. They do it because they can , which is true for any company in this system. If another takes the position it will do the same.
ReversalHatchery@beehaw.org 2 months ago
they didn’t mean to buy from a reseller, but to buy from people who had it and are selling it now.
apotheotic@beehaw.org 2 months ago
Yeah but you have no control over how other people spend their money. That second hand phone would still be there whether you buy it or not. But if you buy a new one you’re giving google more money.
Ideally there would be no second hand google phones because nobody would buy them new, but that’s not happening
MXX53@programming.dev 2 months ago
Why would I buy brand new when I could provide life to a phone that might otherwise end up in a landfill?
umbrella@lemmy.ml 2 months ago
MXX53@programming.dev 2 months ago
The reason for pixel has to do with meeting graphene’s specific security and privacy guidelines. You can read them here grapheneos.org/faq#future-devices. I’m not a pixel fan specifically, but I am Graphene fan and I like my privacy and security.
BaroqueInMind@lemmy.one 2 months ago
Then maybe Graphene should amend their guidelines to address that not everyone can get that phone, especially after Orange Man tariffs
MXX53@programming.dev 2 months ago
Maybe that should be the case. But according to them they are unwilling to budge on any of the guidelines as to not sacrifice any of their goals of privacy and security.
Hopefully someday they either support more devices, or preferably more devices meet the guidelines. I personally would like to see devices that are better supported from a repairability point of view, like the fairphone or hmd skyline.
But, none of that changes the fact that if you want to forgo google play services on android in a secure and private way today, a pixel with Graphene is going to be your best bet. What I would like to be, or what I think should be has no bearing on that answer.
EngineerGaming@feddit.nl 2 months ago
Yeah, same. I’m a GOS user myself but hate the absolutism some people have about it. I would’ve probably gone with Lineage if I hadn’t bought this particular phone (and would likely go there anyway after the support ends, as GOS’ support is relatively short).
MXX53@programming.dev 2 months ago
For me it isn’t absolutism. It is about trying to get the most private secure setup I can. Currently, that is Graphene and that required a pixel. If there ever comes a time where another device is supported, preferably one focused on repairability, I will go that way.
EngineerGaming@feddit.nl 2 months ago
I meant “Absolutism” not in the way of “actually being superior in one way or another”, but rather “considering other options invalid even though they might be good compromises for some people”.
LoveSausage@discuss.tchncs.de 2 months ago
A fork of GOS for EOL devices would be pretty nice I agree , but GOS doesn’t decise phone security, manufacturers do. Any phone with good enough security would be a target device for GOS.
Calyx OS usually run longer on EOL so I would go there before lineage.
EngineerGaming@feddit.nl 2 months ago
I absolutely understand why GOS stops updates when it does. And that’s precisely why I dislike the absolutism - the user might have other priorities.