the thing about pixels is that putting lineage/graphene/whatever on them basically turns it into a completely different phone, all the complaints about AI and whatnot largely dissapear and they become what i'd call about the best experience you can have on a smartphone. Easy to install lineage (dunno about others, presume it's equally easy), just works, no bullshit.

Y’all think GrapheneOS will ditch Pixels?

And if they do… where would dev focus move to?

Google being a trash company would be the major reason not to buy a Pixel.

I had the original Pixel, and now the 5, not sure if I will get one next time but this one is still good.

It's kind of like my car - I have a 6 speed 2014 Honda, it does everything I want & nothing I don't want. Newer ones are better in some ways, but not in ways I want.

I don't want a fancier phone or car, I want a more reliable one that does the things I want it to do. Not stuffed with "features".

I got a Pixel 8a more than a year ago to use GrapheneOS. Its performance is somewhat similar to my Poco X4 GT but it runs a little bit hotter specially when running a private space. Last month it died immediately while I was using it. The phone immediately turned off without any warning. The problem was found to be a hardware one and that some component (i guess it was a transistor) was shorting in the board. Luckily there was a shop near me that was able to repair it.

If it weren't for GOS and maybe for its camera, I would not use and recommend pixels with its very mediocre performance and possible hardware problems.

The problem with older Pixels is that Graphene will stop supporting them.

Currently running GrapheneOS on a pixel 8. It's the best mobile experience I've ever had.

i loved my nexus 4 T_T

also just got a pixel SPECIFICALLY to get graphene and the only thing i hate about graphene is i can't also put it on my galaxy tab because i'd love for my tablet to have it too

I don't trust Google to not put hardware back door in their hardware. It's an ad company after all.

social contract around Android has always been Google provides the Android as an operating system that's open source while everyone else just manufactures actual devices I don't want my Android phone to be built by Google on hardware level.
Tbh not even on software level either .. beyond core aosp - I don't need any other Google services they force down our throats

Pixels are not and have never been about speed or power. They've always been about security, for which they're still the best. Also the only hardware supported by GOS (for the same reason) which is really the biggest reason to buy them, in my opinion. But I used them even before that (P4a was my first, it was $350!) for cleanliness and software features.

It's probably because I had four pixels and three of them died early due to hardware problems. The other one was stolen but I had been wanting to replace it due to poor performance.

I really thought I liked them, but never again.

The linked article sums my position up perfectly. I've had a Nexus 6P, a Pixel 2XL and now a Pixel 6 Pro which, were it not for a cracked screen and (small but increasing) issues with overheating, I'd be happy to stick with.

However there's no way I'm even considering a Pixel for my next phone - much too expensive and fuck all that AI bullshit.

Not sure what I'll go for, and not looking forward to a phone with an OEM skin on the OS but Google has finally driven me away from the Pixel line. It's a shame.