So, I’m looking to maybe possibly use a more secure OS for my phone, and I’m torn between these two. I’m mainly looking at Privacy for my main concern, though security never hurts obviously, and also app compatibility and ease of use. I’m also considering a Fairphone for my next phone down the line, and I’d probably have to go with /e/OS for that, so would it be worth it to just go with that now? Or change later?
You must log in or register to comment.
I used e years ago, back when CyanogenMod was still strong and thriving, and I thoroughly enjoyed it (though it was largely incomplete). I’ve been using CalyxOS for several years now, because Pixel 4 XL was supported for at least another year and GrapheneOS ended support that year. I kept with CalyxOS, because it worked well, and my security posture doesn’t require NSA-level security (getting it that high, requires giving up some conveniences). Honestly, I recommend trying each one for a few weeks, then deciding which one to stick with.
Tbh, I don’t like that e/os is a few months behind in security updates. But making claims about the developers’ intentions is just bad faith. And for that matter, a few months behind in updates is by no means good, but it isn’t as dramatic as it might seem. Normal people who don’t do illegal stuff or aren’t important journalists don’t really need the best security. The most important thing for them is not using Google by default. (Security and privacy are not the same.) Yes, Graphene is more secure, no question about that, but you also need to think about threat model and ease of use. So saying “Graphene = good, e/os = bad” is just wrong. Just generally: e/os:
- many devices supported
- very long device support (Google Pixel 1 and OnePlus 5 are still supported)
- you can buy devices from them directly with e/os and proper support
- long time between updates (a few months)
- (privacy-respecting) preinstalled apps can’t be uninstalled
graphene:
- security/updates
- no extra apps
- only Google Pixels
- (my opinion) quite toxic developers. They can’t accept that other custom ROMs don’t aim for NSA-level security.
The whole debate about MicroG vs. sandboxed Google Play Services is another thing.
btw, I’m using Lineage on my Fairphone right now because I was quite annoyed with the slow updates by e/os and would probably use Graphene if it were available, but to say that e/os is malicious or anything else is not what is happening. They just cater to different groups of users.
👌 Second this. Owning a Pixel grants more options, just stick to whatever you’re more comfortable with. But don’t pay attention to anything anyone linked to GrapheneOS says on social media or forums. They’re very toxic, constantly defame other projects and never accept feedback. You’ve got a decent comparison on Eylenburg’s site. I’d go for Graphene on Pixels but going through all the new settings might be too much for some people who will feel more at home using any of the other options. CalyxOS will be out of service for presumably six months though.
I would like to bring attention to the fact that /e/OS is also sending voice information directly to OpenAI. I think Graphene does tend to blow things out of proportion, but I wouldn’t entirely trust Murena. Other projects are great though.
General consensus says Graphene, however if you prefer an experience closer to one Richard Stallman would approve of, there’s also iodéOS which supports bootloader relocking on the P7, and at some point CalyxOS is expected to come back from their restructuring, and they should also support your device. Really depends on what you want out of your phone. Do you want MicroG or full google play services? Do you want EU-made software, do you want a built in DNS-blocker, do you want to share the same VPN across your phone profiles? There’s a lot to consider :P
don’t go for /e/ though, other person has already linked why.
iodéOS is in no mean a Richard Stallman view OS, just look at the business model of iodé, freemium…
I use calyxos btw. The only thing I can complain about is their default wallpaper. I do like how you can choosr which apps you want during the setup, but sadly chromium will always be installed :(
If its any consolation, Calyx Chromium (Chromium that’s included with CalyxOS) is a de-googled fork with patches from Cromite (and before that from Bromite). IIRC its because Gecko based browsers don’t have as good compatibility, so they went with a Chromium base for their browser
Yeah but they could add it to the menu where you chose what apps to install, so I can decide not to have it(they could also add a warning if you don’t have any browser).
