I have a Samsung S20, it’s starting to have issues, so I’m looking at something decent, need large screen 6in+, prefer powerful phone for future proofing. I don’t intend to glash it the 1st year, last phone I put a custom ROM on was my Note4. Right now I’m looking at the 1+ 12 and the pixel 8 pro, the pixel 9pro is just out of my price range. Is there anything else I should be looking at?
Buying a Pixel is a good idea, especially if you put GrapheneOS on it. It’s by far the best mobile operating system I’ve ever used.
I’m looking to upgrade my phone as well. One important thing I want is call recording, and that really narrows the options.
Samsung phones can record calls, but you need to use SamFW to change the CSC. LineageOS does not support recent models.
OnePlus phones have better hardware specs, but I think nowadays you have to root with Magisk and use BCR for recording. That breaks banking apps. LineageOS supports some OnePlus models, but not 12.
Pixels don’t have native call recording? But GrapheneOS works on them. Again, many apps are broken.
Fairphone might be interesting, I should look into that.
But GrapheneOS works on them.
And GrapheneOS has call recording btw
Again, many apps are broken.
Which apps do you mean? Most apps work just fine on GOS, even many banking apps and others that require proprietary Google Play services. The only apps that don’t work, are those that make use of Google’s completely stupid “Play Protect” API, which claims to verify that a device is secure, but in reality has absolutely nothing to do with security. Google (and other Big Tech companies) don’t give a single fuck about your security. It’s not Graphene’s fault, and has to do with nothing more than Google’s monopolistic practices. It’s designed in a way, where an operating system has to be manually whitelisted by Google, in order to get certified. Obviously, they only allowlisted their own spyware-filled proprietary OS, which is less secure than Graphene.
Fairphone might be interesting
Unfortunately Fairphones are highly insecure, shipping with a completely broken implementation of Android Verified Boot, and using the publically available AOSP test private signing keys by default to sign the OS. They also lack all the hardware security features present in modern Pixel devices.
And GrapheneOS has call recording btw
Thank you for the information. Unfortunately it does not seem to have automatic call recording yet:
https://github.com/GrapheneOS/os-issue-tracker/issues/2083
Which apps do you mean?
You answered this already: apps that use the Play Integrity API. Includes some local banking apps, some random ones and Google Wallet. I wish app developers didn’t use those APIs, but they are probably not aware of the implications or don’t care.
I switched from Samsung to Pixel and I’m on my second Pixel phone now and they’re great. So much better OS and smoother than OneUI ever was.
Ironically, I went from Pixel to Samsung, and legit enjoy the less hand-holding the Samsung flavored OS has with all the extra software settings and hardware features I never had with my Pixel.
If your phone can survive until next summer it might be a good idea, EU is forcing some consumer friendly requirements which I imagine will give you a wider availability of models with five years of updates.
https://energy-efficient-products.ec.europa.eu/product-list/smartphones-and-tablets_en
Ecodesign requirements will apply to mobile phones and tablets put on the EU market from 20 June 2025 onwards, including:
- resistance to accidental drops or scratches and protection from dust and water
- sufficiently durable batteries which can withstand at least 800 charge and discharge cycles while retaining at least 80% of their initial capacity
- rules on disassembly and repair, including obligations for producers to make critical spare parts available within 5-10 working days, and for 7 years after the end of sales of the product model on the EU market
- availability of operating system upgrades for longer periods (at least 5 years from the date of the end of placement on the market of the last unit of a product model)
- non-discriminatory access for professional repairers to any software or firmware needed for the replacement
Wow! I think Louis Rossman will be happy about this, although the U.S.A. lobbyists are most likely trying to push in the opposite direction. I mean, we stand to benefit in that manufacturers are unlikely to make different models, but anything beyond the physical can be differentiated by region so they can continue to screw the consumer senseless in U.S.A. while the EU actually continues to do good for the consumers.
If they’ve already spent the developer time to create a security update for the EU market then I imagine they will push it to phones in the US too.
In the US carriers have a lot of control over the software on phones bought through them (most of them). So you’d have to get the update verified and approved by them.
Yeah that’s what I’m saying. Certain things will be global, but in terms of repair availability etc. you follow Louis Rossman? He’s been trying to get right to repair in Congress and meanwhile the lobbyists keep pushing back and some manufacturers are starting to just plain go evil. The shit some of them are pulling - in many industries. So I’m just saying we will get the kind of advantages that just have to be included due to logistics, but anything that’s local regulation we are getting worse and worse in the U.S.A. companies are rapidly jumping onto new levels of evil and the FTC has only now got a woman with balls - pardon the expression - but they can only do so much and it’s not even enough.
