As noted by the news release from CalyxOS and Mastodon thread from GrapheneOS, Google did not release the Pixel device-specific source code alongside their Android 16 AOSP release like they usually do. I think many of us, including myself, are hoping this will be published in the near future, but considering they moved AOSP development behind closed doors earlier this year, it’s more likely Google has stopped publishing this section or their code altogether, making development of custom ROMs for Pixel devices significantly more difficult. Sad news for the Android ecosystem, and for open source in general.
Google is slowly closing access to everything. It’s a boiled frog situation. All the red flags are there. We’re fucked.
Terrible news ofc, but I hope no one panic buys a different phone or anything (assuming they already have one). This is just to say, your phone isn’t immediately obsoleted right now, so give it a little while before you switch anything out.
What about someone currently on a Googled version of Android on a non-pixel that want to get a privacy smartphone?
I don’t have a good answer. I would probably wait to see if this kills GrapheneOS (on pixel devices) or not, then use that info in my decision process.
Less reason to buy a Pixel, then.
Uhg then what? Samsung’s got too much of their own shit data harvesting crap on top of the Google stuff. All other phones basically have shit cameras. Time to go to iPhone? Seems they’re all the same at this point 😜
If you’re in Europe, Fairphone is an option. I’m pretty happy with mine.
Graphene is centered around security. I’ve heard bad things about Fairphone in that regard - the Graphene team even talks about them in the replies on that thread.
Respectfully to the Graphene team, they say that about literally every other OS.
