Comment by mmh0000
21 hours ago
If true. And I put a big if on that.
I WILL be buying their flagship model.
My go to for Graphene has been used Pixels from eBay. Because I can’t give money to Google in good conscience.
21 hours ago
If true. And I put a big if on that.
I WILL be buying their flagship model.
My go to for Graphene has been used Pixels from eBay. Because I can’t give money to Google in good conscience.
Doesn't buying a used pixel encourage the sale of new pixels by demonstrating a healthy resale value?
I don't think the market of people buying used phones for the purpose of graphene is going to make a dent in profits for Google. It raises resale value maybe by say, $0, considering the price is set by the average consumer
Well then buying them directly from Google would have no effect either.
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I never considered resale value when buying a phone. Is that really something people look for?
I often hear resale talk from iPhone buyers.
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that depends what you consider a healthy resale value, I bought my Pixel 6a with no issues for 100EUR :-) (and not because I care about Google's business, I don't have gapps in my phone, I just like good deals/VFM)
Didn't know more people are doing this. I am also using a used Pixel 4a which I got from eBay. Still has good battery. I don't see any reason to upgrade any time soon.
Speaking of battery, veeeeery soon phones will have mandated replaceable batteries in the EU. I'm just hoping my current moto (a $99 job perfectly adequate for absolutely everything I do) survives until then.
Aside: I've noticed over the years that phones die in one of the following ways: - too fast charging (battery dies, charge controller dies) - usb port dies - screen broken - all sorts of falls
A lether folio case, gorilla glass, and a Qi charging adapter solve all of those problems (the charging adapter also limits the current by virtue of being inefficient). It has a magnetic connector (it's a simple two-pin job and it doesn't have any issues) - in the rare occasion I want to charge up real quick, I can still hook up directly via usb c, and meanwhile the port is stuffed with the converter's plug which prevents it from accumulating dirt and fluff.
I'm glad to say that even despite many falls, some directly onto the screen, the phone itself still works very well, even if the case and glass protector are obviously ragged.
I hope once unlockable Moto's come around I'll be able to keep that one for a long while as well.
When you say replaceable, do you mean repairable or swappable? Like, does it need to be done without tools (probably takes <1 minute) or would it take me 2 hours with a load of tools (no change from today) just that there's a legal requirement for them to be commercially available?
Fwiw, besides people that crack the screen I have not seen any of the failures you've mentioned. The only phone I saw someone replace, for reasons other than software support, was myself because the gnss chip was cooked after 3 years (would track me perfectly, like if I step to the right it would notice, but with an offset of hundreds of metres so I'm in another town). All other phones I've owned are still perfectly functioning (the oldest Android phone I have, 2012, has a more reliable battery than my daily driver!), I don't use any case or screen protector. They're just software-wise obsolete because no updates and developers require the newer android apis
well, it isn't receiving security updates https://grapheneos.org/faq#device-support
imo the RAM bloat/overly aggressive OS. on a similar aged device without zswap I couldn't run more than one maybe two things without the OS killing everything in the background. I think it was better before I got stuck updating to 15
Security patches.
and support for hw memory tagging :p
You should really try to buy any phone used if you can, whether Pixel or Google or not.
Why?
For the environment? To reduce e-waste? And you'll almost certainly save substantial money too.
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I too have been buying used Pixels, mostly for environmental reasons. But from a local shop phonebot. Got 3 phones from there, no issues at all.
Buying used introduces such a big supply chain risk. I stay safe by buying direct and asking the NSA not to open the shipment in the order notes.
(y’all know this one https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2014/05/photos-of-an-nsa... )
What is the supposed threat model here?
Mr. Rich Guy sells me his personal device he used in the previous year because he wants new shiny phone, but he may have the very slightest chance of being a super evil genius? The government selling tampered phones on ebay, when they could just.. go directly to vendors and put their backdoors directly into new phones/software?
Sorry for the light snark, but this attack vector seems way too complicated for not much benefit. Unless you are some very VIP person being personally targeted.
I put GrapheneOS on the phone myself.
I wouldn't trust the OS shipped with a used phone.
NSA could technically do this with a new phone also and probably has.