Motorola’s GrapheneOS phones will launch in 2027 priced higher than Pixels

https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2026/08/motorolas-grapheneos-phones-will-launch-in-2027-priced-higher-than-pixels/

168 points · 47 comments · view on lemmy.world

47 Comments

kalapala@sopuli.xyz · 66 pts · 4d (2 replies)

When I said I have high hopes I didn't mean the price.

Newsteinleo@infosec.pub · 9 pts · 4d (1 reply)

In this day and age Motorola knows people will pay extra for privacy and the convenience of not having to install an OS on their phone.

TheLowestStone@lemmy.world · 24 pts · 4d

The phone won't come with Graphene installed. It will just be capable of running it.

cupcakezealot@piefed.blahaj.zone · 32 pts · 4d (10 replies)

i mean everything would be higher than pixels because google heavily subsidises pixels to get their data collection in your hands.

chisel@piefed.social · 17 pts · 4d (4 replies)

They're mid-tier hardware at flagship prices.

lka1988@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 6 pts · 4d (3 replies)

And they do the thing just fine.

jello@programming.dev · 3 pts · 4d (1 reply)

"the thing" being running GrapheneOS ofc

lka1988@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 3 pts · 3d

And also just being a decent smart phone.

exdor@programming.dev · 1 pts · 16h

Tbh I wouldnt call a Pixel 10 camera "just fine", it is pretty damn impressive

quick_snail@feddit.nl · 5 pts · 4d

I can't complain. I love buying old pixels for $100.

When you strip out the google bloat, they run great!

refalo@programming.dev · 1 pts · 4d (3 replies)

there are many decent smartphones available for less money than pixels though, even from motorola

exdor@programming.dev · 1 pts · 16h (2 replies)

Yeah and they are insecure and probably have very short and incomplete software updates

Phones are sadly not general purpose computers

refalo@programming.dev · 1 pts · 10h (1 reply)

If they're insecure then there is an easy way to exploit it to root/flash it with a better OS if that wasn't already possible. Not everyone wants to drop $900 on a hunk of plastic.

exdor@programming.dev · 1 pts · 6h

It is easier to break something than to reverse engineer drivers and firmware and maintain yourself XD

Also, firmware updates need to be signed so it is impossible to update, unless there is a really bad vulnerability

And you can buy phones used, my most expensive one was under 400€

unexposedhazard@discuss.tchncs.de · 14 pts · 4d (15 replies)

You usually buy phones intended for custom roms used, so the release price doesnt really matter imo. The question is how longlived will they be. Swappable battery? Stuff like that.

Turret3857@infosec.pub · 20 pts · 4d (13 replies)

If Graphene is in control of production in any way: Probably about 7 or more years of support

If Motorola is in control: it may be DOA

Not wanting that to happen but Motorola's track record is NOT good at all for that kind of thing.

KiwiTB@lemmy.world · 11 pts · 4d (5 replies)

Motorola is doing the porting at the moment. But yeah its hard to say. Ideally tho we need Qualcomm and Samsung to bring higher end security to lower end processors to get more options

krigo666@lemmy.world · 6 pts · 4d (4 replies)

I seriously doubt Motorola/Lenovo is "doing the porting", I don't see the GrapheneOS letting others mess with the software. The GrapheneOS team are going to control the production of the hardware to their specs and then install the software after the sale or even sell it themselves.

Eat_Your_Paisley@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 4d

Yesterday Graphene OS Lemmy drama was the fact that moto is doing all the porting.

nathan@piefed.alphapuggle.dev · 3 pts · 4d (1 reply)
krigo666@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 4d

Read the text carefully: Motorola is porting firmware/drivers to GrapheneOS specifications. Not actual GrapheneOS code.

exdor@programming.dev · 1 pts · 16h

I understood this like porting Android to some other chip? But yeah no idea what that means

blinfabian@feddit.nl · 8 pts · 4d (5 replies)

"DOA on arrival" ... you know the OA already stands for on arrival right?

fyzzlefry@retrolemmy.com · 4 pts · 3d

RIP in peace

UnspecificGravity@piefed.social · 2 pts · 4d (2 replies)

Did you know that pointing out unimportant tautology is the first sign of being a douche-bag?

exaybachae@startrek.website · 2 pts · 4d (1 reply)

Why the hyphen?

exdor@programming.dev · 1 pts · 16h

Douch-e-bag

Turret3857@infosec.pub · 2 pts · 4d

its almost like an mistake happened.

cupcakezealot@piefed.blahaj.zone · 3 pts · 4d

rip my moto x :(

exdor@programming.dev · 1 pts · 16h

True. For this specific case dont expect low used prices.

Experts take care and dont sell their devices.

Dumb people buy the new phone and then sell it because they switched to an iPhone or something... dumb. That is why there are so many low-spec Pixels on the used market. Try finding a 500gb Pixel pro used!

Same will be the case with used top tier Motorola phones. Lower userbase and those people are less likely to sell them.

A Pixel 9/10 is kinda premium but the normal one. The a is the lower tier but also runs GrapheneOS. But the a is not the generally advertized model for cheaper, it is released separately and has obvious downsides because you always have a direct comparison. It is simply way less likely for people to buy "the regular Pixel" (which is kinda premium) than for people to buy the top tier Motorola

refalo@programming.dev · 10 pts · 4d

Will these still be considered "criminal phones" by the governments that already make that claim against GrapheneOS users?

Allero@lemmy.today · 8 pts · 4d (7 replies)

Considering that GrapheneOS runs on devices as old and cheap as Pixel 6, and previously supported earlier versions too, the refusal to produce cheaper models seems almost malicious.

GrapheneOS does not require fancy hardware besides a security chip.

Stowaway@midwest.social · 12 pts · 4d (1 reply)

My suspicion is that this is partially risk based pricing for Motorola. They know some people value privacy, but they aren't banking on lots. So if they're putting the work in on this they want to see the value back.

Allero@lemmy.today · 6 pts · 4d

Fair, but, as per the article, these devices will ship without GrapheneOS, so they'll be mostly focused on regular consumers. This is not some GrapheneOS-first model, even if they've done some work to assist GrapheneOS project.

exdor@programming.dev · 2 pts · 16h

Well, their requirements increased since Pixels got arm memory tagging in the 8 generation. The 11 would be more secure than a 7 for example but they are still uncertain about supporting them, because it is a clear security downgrade

quick_snail@feddit.nl · 1 pts · 4d (3 replies)

Pixel 6 isn't cheap.

Allero@lemmy.today · 5 pts · 4d (2 replies)

$200 for a new Pixel 6 in my area. The Motorola device described in the article is expected to come at $1000+.

exdor@programming.dev · 1 pts · 16h (1 reply)

Dont buy anything older than an 8 currently. Think about support lifespan, the Pixel 6 will be EOL in one month!

https://endoflife.date/pixel

https://resist.berlin/pixel-preise

Allero@lemmy.today · 1 pts · 12h

Indeed! I'd rather go for Pixel 8 and up, I merely mentioned that GrapheneOS does not need too fancy of a hardware.

Neat table on that second link though! And actually comprehensible even without speaking much German lol

Defectus@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 4d (1 reply)

Saw this the other day. Bought a new battery for my nothing phone 1. Gonna install evolutionX vanilla tomorrow on it. Hopeful that it'll last a couple of years more.

bruzzard@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 4d

Pixel 6 is EOL in a month (or so). After that there will be no GrapheneOS support omce Google ends security updates on it. https://endoflife.date/pixel

IceFoxX@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 2d

With all original Qualcomm’s CVE's. The next honeypot.

ikidd@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 1 pts · 4d (4 replies)

I'll buy one if it's a flip.

leavemealone@sh.itjust.works · 3 pts · 3d (1 reply)

And if no one buys it, it will be a flop.

Rolive@discuss.tchncs.de · 1 pts · 2d

I've heard one of the developers is a Frenchman that only wears slippers.

Philippe Pheloppe.

fyzzlefry@retrolemmy.com · 1 pts · 3d (1 reply)

You want the Callback then

https://commodore.net/callback/

ikidd@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 1 pts · 3d

Actually, I want my Razr+ to have GOS.