GrapheneOS is currently the blessed child. Like CyanogenMod previously. They are "permitted" to access to Google Play Services because their work hardening Android currently benefits Google.

Once Google feels like there is sufficient stability and compatibility with hardened memory allocator and tagged memory (and when they can get Qualcomm to support it across their range), they will make harder, until impossible, for Graphene.

An old article [1] but:

> Google’s Android—and [Open Handset Alliance] members are contractually prohibited from building non-Google approved devices

So to compete you'd have to create a compatible Google Play Services as well as find a supporting manufacturer. Samsung managed their own competing apps and store [2] for a while along with Tizen, likely for leverage or theoretical pivot. But has since dropped that effort.

[1] https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2018/07/googles-iron-grip-on...

[2] https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2021/07/google-bought-of...

> Android users need to switch to Graphene.

Doesn't GrapheneOS supports only Google Pixel smartphones now? For most of the users, that would mean changing their phones beforehand. And if we're talking about common people (especially not in US), it's not even everyone who can afford that. Moreover, in my opinion, by buying Google phones you're feeding Google, and I, personally, would like to avoid that.

I tried. But then I didnt get access to essential services like banking and national resources.

I would say Ubuntu Touch + a Fairphone. Graphene is too reliant on Google.

I keep hoping for something more radical like Jolla and SailfishOS taking off or postmarketOS becoming a true viable alternative but as things are looking like now there's a better chance we'll ditch phones altogether in 10 years when smart glasses will replace them instead.

I know Graphene has innovative security measures, do you happen to know whether that includes anything wrt. phishing or social engineering?

(For those who haven't been following along: this whole affair started with phishing. People were social-engineered into installing an app and a little later their bank accounts were empty. A big issue in various poor countries.)

The only reason I have not switched Graphene is because for reasons I do not understand, Graphene OS is very closely tied with Google hardware.

I bought a /e/os Fairphone instead.

> Linux based mobile OS

So, Android?

> Android users need to switch to Graphene.

Which supports only Pixel devices.

I get it, but it really sucks that Graphene only works on Pixel hardware. I switched to Samsung with my last phone.

Not really a solution at the moment if you do not want to give money to Google by buying a Pixel (hopefully the deal with Motorola will work).

Long term I would probably have more hopes in https://postmarketos.org/

I wonder if it makes sense to create an independent hard-fork of AOSP in the future. But probably the only option to keep this somehow maintainable is to replace many android-specific components with other userspace linux components that are already well maintained (systemd, networkmanager, wayland)

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