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this post was submitted on 22 Mar 2026
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I'm gonna have to replace my phone soon since it doesn't receive security updates any more and I was thinking of going for GrapheneOS. What do you guys think about getting a Pixel 10 for that purpose? My second choice would be an iPhone but it's both a lot more expensive and also less privacy respecting.
I was also considering a Fairphone but despite rating the repariability highly, there were too many other cons to the device.
You can get a pixel in the "a" series for a lot cheaper than the main series or pro.
I always run them and they last forever.
For example a pixel 8a is just under $400 full price.
Graphene also runs better than android due to lack of bloat, so you won't notice the lower specs quite as much.
Graphene is probably overkill for a simple (commercial) privacy use case but it seems to be the best for confounding google and also stability. So that's why so many people use it.
And there's not much in terms of downsides.
Thanks for the response!
Currently, the Pixel 10 goes for 600€ including taxes, while the Pixel 9a goes for 370€. Both are on sale right now. The iPhone 17 and the Samsung S26 meanwhile both go for 1015€ and 1106€, respectively, just for price comparison. Would you still go with the 9a over the 10 in this case?
For my use case, the Pixel 10 doesn't offer enough over the 9a to make the extra cost worth it for me.
I actually don't know a lot about those models.
They last so long I tend to skip a few models at a time, and only bought my pixel 8a about 6 mths ago. So there's been no need to research.
I'm sure there's some good reviews or spec comparisons online. They tend to be excellent phones though.
I'm a tech snob but also a cheap bastard and they always fall into that middle part of the Venn diagram.
Adding to the noise: don't forget that Graphene discontinues support for older devices as well, although the 10 is not one of them
It discontinues support on my phone the same month google does, so that support ends either way.
I'd concur with the other commenters here and recommend getting a second hand Pixel device. I was a lifelong iOS user until they walked back their end-to-end encryption, jumped ship to using a second hand Pixel 8 Pro I got on eBay, installed GrapheneOS immediately, never even experienced stock Android. After a bit of an adjustment period, I'm very happy with my choice.
Got a Pixel 8a, i love it. Its fast, clean and customizable the phones have good technical specs and price/value for the a series is great.
In one year i only had two complications. One App i use hates the sandboxing and is lagging/freezing. I once had a broken update that bricked the phone until i sideloaded a newer update from pc. But its much less compromises / work then using a linux phone.
Depends on your angle. The Pixel is a good phone and the OS works well, but it is a Google device. A growing minority wants to avoid investing in US big corp, or in anything US related in general given the current political situation.
I'm definitely one of those people but there just aren't that many alternatives. Like I said, I did consider Fairphone, but there were so many cons to their devices that it's just not a reasonable choice for me personally. Which is unfortunate.
Thanks.
If I had to change phones now, I'd get a second-hand/refurbished Pixel and wait until the motorola devices take on. Fairphone is nice but lacks in security. The high price is only because of the "fair" small-scale production, the specs are quite mid for the price. I say this as a fp owner, I'm happy but if I had to choose again I'd go about it differently.
Using a 2nd hand Pixel 8 I got for 180 EUR running GrapheneOS, daily driving it since I received it.
Can recommend the Pixel, after my 7 pro XL went to shit I've picked up a 10 pro w/ GrapheneOS - way better experience.
Thank you!
You're welcome! Like others have said, look for a second-hand one or as in my case, if you can find a new one through a private seller. Rather not directly support Google either.
I did this. Pixel 10 pro. Works great. Did it for my previous 2 pixels as well. Feel free to ask about it.
As a Fairphone 4 user, I've been quite happy with it for a few years. Could you elaborate what you deem the cons to be? (I'm not gonna argue, just curious)
Fairphone is a good project but i have three reasons to prefer Pixel/Graphen.
Fairphones are big/chunky i like smaller one handed phones that fit well in pockets the pixel a series is alreddy on the big end for me, the form of the samsung s10e was peak.
The price value in pure hardware specs of pixels a series is just better.
Graphen > Lineage if you want to sandbox / emulate play services for certein games, banking apps, etc.
The $700 you give Google for a pixel is only going to erode your privacy further and personally I wouldn't trust any device made by them, regardless of the OS.
Edit to say you are basically just rewarding their behaviour.
What device would you trust?
That's a good point and it's one I've been considering. I would've bought a second-hand phone if it weren't for the fact that the second-hand market in my country is so bad to the point it's not even worth considering.
Just get a refurbished/second hand one, many are as good as new
I think Fair phone with eos is the "least evil" option but you won't be able to use most banking apps or contactless payment.
you can use contactless payment with Curve Pay
Banking app probably depends on the app