Devices with GrapheneOS support should be available in 2027

The hardware and software security of Android/iOS/iPadOS/GOS devices are leagues ahead of Linux servers in all aspects and it’s not even close (but they also serve different purposes so to some extent I’m not sure how 1:1 this comparison is). However, this discussion focuses on desktop style Linux distros which is what these phones are running which have inadequate security. Desktop Linux is inferior security-wise to a server environment where each process/app is running as it’s own user etc. Desktop-style Linux phones also have virtually zero hardware security versus the alternatives.

It doesn’t matter if a user knows what they are doing. For example installing so-called “trusted” apps means they’re only trustworthy at that moment in time and not forward-looking. All it takes is one supply chain or runtime security exploit. Software security is also extremely poor with a lack of comprehensive sandboxing and so on, I would just read the grapheneos accounts replies on here since they’re writing entire novels on this.

I mean even GrapheneOS shows how relevant this is with Samuel Tunick, on the front page today. If he’d had a desktop Linux phone that was seized from him while in AFU, sure it would be “private” but there would be virtually nothing stopping officials from running through his entire phone since so many of these desktop Linux distros rely on poor security elements if any on top of FDE with LUKS so your entire device is basically exposed and unencrypted after the first unlock.

This whole comment was borderline stream of consciousness so I apologize if anything is unclear here.

based on is the important part here. Yes, AOSP would survive without Google. But as long as Google is in control of AOSP, it controls the direction in which AOSP and all downstream projects are headed. Because of breaking changes in AOSP, there is a cost in maintaining downstream changes. So downstream projects cannot veer off too far, short of a hard fork.

> You're misinformed about security preview patches. It has nothing to do with Google being hostile.

Does it not? From the 2025092500 GrapheneOS release notes: "We strongly disagree with broadly distributing patches to OEMs 3-4 months before the official publication date. It further delays getting patches to users and sophisticated attackers will have no issue getting the patches from one of many people at Android OEMs with early access."

Sounds pretty hostile to me.