How do I reliably tell an unlockable bootloader from just a carrier unlocked device that may still have a carrier firmware that prevents bootloader unlocking?
I’m not sure I understand your question. If you’re in the US do not buy a Verizon model. If It’s a Verizon model there’s nothing you can do with it. If the phone was purchased directly from Google it will be unlocked. It should be unlocked from most carriers I believe.
LineageOS isn’t quite as hardline about the hardware having specific security features, and works on a BUNCH more phones. Maybe even your current one. If not, it’s a lot easier to avoid Google buying for Lineage support than for Graphene.
I’ve tried e/OS on my FP4 and had a terrible experience with it. They try to develop their own forks of every standard app and google apps to get a more “complete” branded experience but what they achieve in mass falls short on UX and buggy software.
They have their own launcher that often glitches out when trying to edit your home screen layout, animations that are shifty and looks incomplete, etc. In general they try to replace as much of the android stuff to look like their UI design but then you click around some menus and get into some system app settings that doesn’t have it. It all felt inconsistent and poorly integrated. All the things they offer you can get through other means from FDroid anyways but with the added benefit of actually being up to date as well.
The best I’ve tried so far on FP4 is CalyxOS and I had an amazing experience with it. When they went on a bit of a internal hiatus to fix up some of their infra I switched to IodéOS. Both are more or less somewhat minor-ish modifications to stock LineageOS.
CalyxOS last I heard is back on track now so I would recommend trying that one out. It was an extremely stable experience and you get a stock android look and feel that feels more complete. While e/OS feels more like huaweis old poor iphone copies.
Bro. GrapheneOS is only for Google phones that you still have to buy if you don’t own one already. Motorola got support but so far 0 phones have GrapheneOS form their lineup.
Not to mention, most android phones are either Samsung or Chinese brands from which none will ever have support from GrapheneOS. Best you can do is get lineageOS or something and be lucky that these custom Roms have support for your device.
Just switch to GrapheneOS or Linux at this point.
Sadly GrapheneOS only supports pixel phones and I refuse to give more money to Google.
Motorola is making a graphene os phone soon I think
Buy a used one, that’s what I did. Google didn’t make a dime off of me.
How do I reliably tell an unlockable bootloader from just a carrier unlocked device that may still have a carrier firmware that prevents bootloader unlocking?
I’m not sure I understand your question. If you’re in the US do not buy a Verizon model. If It’s a Verizon model there’s nothing you can do with it. If the phone was purchased directly from Google it will be unlocked. It should be unlocked from most carriers I believe.
Buy a used pixel 2nd hand.
Swappa.com buy used.
LineageOS isn’t quite as hardline about the hardware having specific security features, and works on a BUNCH more phones. Maybe even your current one. If not, it’s a lot easier to avoid Google buying for Lineage support than for Graphene.
– Frost
I didn’t know that. There is also LineageOS that supports a wider range of phones.
/e/OS is a degoogled fork of lineageOS that supports my fairphone, So I’ll probably switch to that.
I’ve tried e/OS on my FP4 and had a terrible experience with it. They try to develop their own forks of every standard app and google apps to get a more “complete” branded experience but what they achieve in mass falls short on UX and buggy software.
They have their own launcher that often glitches out when trying to edit your home screen layout, animations that are shifty and looks incomplete, etc. In general they try to replace as much of the android stuff to look like their UI design but then you click around some menus and get into some system app settings that doesn’t have it. It all felt inconsistent and poorly integrated. All the things they offer you can get through other means from FDroid anyways but with the added benefit of actually being up to date as well.
The best I’ve tried so far on FP4 is CalyxOS and I had an amazing experience with it. When they went on a bit of a internal hiatus to fix up some of their infra I switched to IodéOS. Both are more or less somewhat minor-ish modifications to stock LineageOS.
CalyxOS last I heard is back on track now so I would recommend trying that one out. It was an extremely stable experience and you get a stock android look and feel that feels more complete. While e/OS feels more like huaweis old poor iphone copies.
Thanks, I will look into CalyxOS
I wish there were more phones that could run Linux.
Handheld cyberdeck running linux with cell service is my dream.
Bro. GrapheneOS is only for Google phones that you still have to buy if you don’t own one already. Motorola got support but so far 0 phones have GrapheneOS form their lineup.
Not to mention, most android phones are either Samsung or Chinese brands from which none will ever have support from GrapheneOS. Best you can do is get lineageOS or something and be lucky that these custom Roms have support for your device.
Buying a Pixel is just giving Google more money. Flip phone here I come.
Buy last years model second hand
Probably gonna go with this
Fair enough. Cheap and cheerful.
They don’t make money on the hardware, only on PixelOS