I have a newer Pixel phone and I’m comfortable installing and running custom ROMs from doing so regularly back in the day - for those who’ve daily driven both, what are the reasons I should NOT switch from the stock OS to GrapheneOS?
You can’t use Google Wallet to pay with NFC, they don’t have Miracast, and Chromecast can supposedly work but I haven’t been able to get it to work. Those are the three major hurdles I’ve found, but getting away from Google was a priority so I’ll live without them.
NFC can have other providers other than Google Wallet, but I haven’t found any that I find trustworthy enough yet. Supposedly the EU is making an alternative.
It’s not. It depends on how open the phone is and if it relies on exploits to root or if there’s an official method. Pixels are open and you can just install whatever you want on them, with open source drivers (although Google is trying to stop that too). So to install Graphene, for instance, it’s literally a web app with one or two clicks to do it automatically.
Agreed, some very talented and generous people worked to make it easier and easier, but less options over time when manufacturers started dropping and phones all consolidated and locked down more and more. Even when it was more complex in early days, and greater risk of a brick, you could often restore back to a stock ROM or dual boot in a way so actual risk was minimal if you just slowed down and followed directions - again provided by very generous people who just wanted to make things better.
I have a newer Pixel phone and I’m comfortable installing and running custom ROMs from doing so regularly back in the day - for those who’ve daily driven both, what are the reasons I should NOT switch from the stock OS to GrapheneOS?
You can’t use Google Wallet to pay with NFC, they don’t have Miracast, and Chromecast can supposedly work but I haven’t been able to get it to work. Those are the three major hurdles I’ve found, but getting away from Google was a priority so I’ll live without them.
NFC can have other providers other than Google Wallet, but I haven’t found any that I find trustworthy enough yet. Supposedly the EU is making an alternative.
I think this is about what I’ve heard to date on drawbacks, by as you mentioned, I think I’ll take the chance for the privacy benefits.
The EU already has alternatives, quite a few banks have their own NFC implementations.
Not yet. They have QR, and are working on NFC.
Fair. Unfortunately, mine don’t.
@Snapz @viov Can you really do it? My experience with all Android rooting is that it is always complex and risky.
It’s not. It depends on how open the phone is and if it relies on exploits to root or if there’s an official method. Pixels are open and you can just install whatever you want on them, with open source drivers (although Google is trying to stop that too). So to install Graphene, for instance, it’s literally a web app with one or two clicks to do it automatically.
Agreed, some very talented and generous people worked to make it easier and easier, but less options over time when manufacturers started dropping and phones all consolidated and locked down more and more. Even when it was more complex in early days, and greater risk of a brick, you could often restore back to a stock ROM or dual boot in a way so actual risk was minimal if you just slowed down and followed directions - again provided by very generous people who just wanted to make things better.