GrapheneOS BTC donations for Pixel7

[dkbit98]

GrapheneOS is making a small fundraising event to preorder two Google Pixel7 smartphones for making their privacy oriented open source mobile operating system.
Their first choice for accepting payments is Bitcoin and they posted address in public on their twitter post, but for regular donations they also accept Monero, Zcash,credit card payments, PayPal, etc.
Everything they do is available for free as open source, so it would be good for anyone who appreciate their work and use Graphene to make donation, however small it is.

We need $3500 to preorder 2x Pixel 7 and 2x Pixel 7 Pro (2x $599 + 2x $799 at local prices with added sales tax). One for main device maintainers and one for main dev/testing set.

Bitcoin donation address specifically for this purpose:
bc1q2fh6j65w3rfvyn00zex2gh9eslhw9nvdnvkfy7

https://twitter.com/GrapheneOS/status/1578073223316619271



GrapheneOS Github: https://github.com/GrapheneOS
Official Website: https://grapheneos.org/

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[DaveF]

You can also just donate to Graphene in general, instead of just the we need to buy some phones by using the various crypto addresses here, along with PayPal and credit cards:

https://grapheneos.org/donate

It is a worthwhile project in general for privacy and everyone should take a look at it.

Personally not a fan of the Pixel line in general as of late, but I understand why they concentrate on them.

-Dave

[dkbit98]

You can also just donate to Graphene in general, instead of just the we need to buy some phones by using the various crypto addresses here, along with PayPal and credit cards

Yeah I know but it's very cool to see Bitcoin is being their first choice for all donations, and I saw some Bitcoiners support this project.
Bitcoin plus GrapheneOS is like a perfect match made in heaven  
Interesting that Graphene developers are using Trezor Model T hardware wallet for accepting donations, and I think they reached the goal for Pixel7, 0.207 BTC received so far.
One more cool thing, they plan to add Lightning donations with their own Bitcoin and Lightning node!

Personally not a fan of the Pixel line in general as of late, but I understand why they concentrate on them.

I think Pixel 6 is larger than I would like to see and it has some flaws, but they reduced slightly size for new Pixel 7 model, and Pixel 7A will be even smaller.
Compared to other flagship smartphones I think they have very reasonable pricing, and Pixel phone loaded with GrapheneOS is next level compared to all other phones, if you care about privacy.



 

[UserU]

Personally not a fan of the Pixel line in general as of late, but I understand why they concentrate on them.

-Dave

Pixel is a good phone, but Google really makes it hard for many to love them.

1) Lack of VoLTE in many non-supported regions
2) Availability/ Warranty in general
3) Exynos foundry (6, 7 and 8 lineups in the future)

I own one (3 XL) in fact, and camera is good ngl but RAM management is horrendous af. Just switch to another app for several seconds and the previous one gets killed.

[DaveF]

Personally not a fan of the Pixel line in general as of late, but I understand why they concentrate on them.

-Dave

Pixel is a good phone, but Google really makes it hard for many to love them.

1) Lack of VoLTE in many non-supported regions
2) Availability/ Warranty in general
3) Exynos foundry (6, 7 and 8 lineups in the future)

I own one (3 XL) in fact, and camera is good ngl but RAM management is horrendous af. Just switch to another app for several seconds and the previous one gets killed.

Don't want to derail this thread, but for me QC is the issue. Took me 2 returns before I got a 4a that didn't have screen issues and the 6 came new in a box with a battery showing a problem. There is NO way they did any checking on them before shipment. Not saying other brands don't have issues, but lets just say the phone I have now is not a Pixel.....

I am going to test Graphene on the 4a since I still have it as a spare, I actually sold the 6 at a large loss and was happy to get away from it.

-Dave

[NeuroticFish]

Don't want to derail this thread, but for me QC is the issue.

QC is an issue in most phones I've been studying (I was eyeing an update for my 4+ years old phone). But I was looking into less pricey phones.
RAM management is an issue I've read about more than once, the Android system nowadays is hungry for RAM, at least 6 GB seems to be a minimal must.

A bit shame Graphene is only for the Pixels, from what I've read they're not the only ones with clean Android (iirc Moto also has clean Andro and it's much more affordable).
--

I will keep an eye and retweet some of their donation requests too (already started). Pixel or not, it is a worthwhile project.

[dkbit98]

I own one (3 XL) in fact, and camera is good ngl but RAM management is horrendous af. Just switch to another app for several seconds and the previous one gets killed.

Sure Pixel phones has issues, but show me any other phone that can smoothly run open source operating system, be degoogled with Graphene that supports and uses Bitcoin.
I wouldn't use any phone as a daily driver if support was dropped, but Pixel is giving four or five years of support, and that is very good thing.
If you don't mind being spied all the time with other phones, than by all means use what you want.

Don't want to derail this thread, but for me QC is the issue. Took me 2 returns before I got a 4a that didn't have screen issues and the 6 came new in a box with a battery showing a problem. There is NO way they did any checking on them before shipment. Not saying other brands don't have issues, but lets just say the phone I have now is not a Pixel.....

It's true that Pixel 6 had issues with battery and stupid slow charger, but they fixed most of this things with software update in Android13, and from early reports Pixel 7 battery is much much better.
You probably use iPhone now like most of the people and maybe it works better for you with better battery, but it's total privacy nightmare and it's closed source, so no thank you.  

I am going to test Graphene on the 4a since I still have it as a spare, I actually sold the 6 at a large loss and was happy to get away from it.

It's very easy, following web installer on their website, and Pixel 4a is still supported.

A bit shame Graphene is only for the Pixels, from what I've read they're not the only ones with clean Android (iirc Moto also has clean Andro and it's much more affordable).

There are alternative options for other phones like Divest OS or LineageOS, but they are way inferior compared to GrapheneOS.
Pixel phone are used for a good reason (you can read more about that on Graphene website), it's one of the best phones for security because of their secure element and long security updates.
CalyxOS is alternative for GrapheneOS that also supports Pixel phones, and they accept Bitcoin donations.

[UserU]

Don't want to derail this thread, but for me QC is the issue. Took me 2 returns before I got a 4a that didn't have screen issues and the 6 came new in a box with a battery showing a problem. There is NO way they did any checking on them before shipment. Not saying other brands don't have issues, but lets just say the phone I have now is not a Pixel.....

I am going to test Graphene on the 4a since I still have it as a spare, I actually sold the 6 at a large loss and was happy to get away from it.

-Dave

You know, I was eyeing the 6A until I read lots of feedback on the 6/ 6A of what you said. Not just Google, even Samsung has its fair share. However I'm hoping the Gen 2 fixes the thermal and battery life.

I assume you have no issues with the connectivity, but not all of us get to enjoy the privileges because they don't (want to) give a toss for users living in non-supported regions. Always the same "You shouldn't be buying a device unsupported in your country" canned response from those smartass contributors whenever you search for it.

Sure Pixel phones has issues, but show me any other phone that can smoothly run open source operating system, be degoogled with Graphene that supports and uses Bitcoin.
I wouldn't use any phone as a daily driver if support was dropped, but Pixel is giving four or five years of support, and that is very good thing.
If you don't mind being spied all the time with other phones, than by all means use what you want.

Don't get me wrong, I don't hate the Pixel at all. I only want what's the best for my needs. Their camera shots are sublime. What you said was the reason why I decided to get one. Support, limitless storage (before Google discontinued it) and the stock Android experience.

However we customers have our own preference and either the phone or us could change. I wanted to get the 6A until I saw the overheating issues and the processor being built on the Exynos foundry. If you've owned one (e.g. Samsung), you should be aware that it's known to be inferior to Snapdragon in terms of performance and thermal management. I could relate as I have some and they can get real toasty.

And then I have to bear with the lack of VoLTE and 4G band compatibility which further handicapped its capabilities.

If the phone lineup doesn't suit me anymore, time to switch to a better alternative. Unfortunately Pixel's not in the cards because their next gen phones are still gonna use Exynos. Nowadays phone's ain't cheap; I ain't spending a fortune on another portable heater when I live in a tropical country.

Being "spied" on, it applies to the apps and sites we sign up for, not just non-Google. I mean our data is already harvested by the giants themselves. Not like I care much anyway as convenience comes at the cost of security. Shopping suggestions, autocomplete, those are from data harvesting/ analytics. Heck, even Google is my go-to search engine because it delivers the answers I need.


Anyways I won't further derail this thread. Peace out.

[DaveF]

Don't want to derail this thread, but for me QC is the issue. Took me 2 returns before I got a 4a that didn't have screen issues and the 6 came new in a box with a battery showing a problem. There is NO way they did any checking on them before shipment. Not saying other brands don't have issues, but lets just say the phone I have now is not a Pixel.....

It's true that Pixel 6 had issues with battery and stupid slow charger, but they fixed most of this things with software update in Android13, and from early reports Pixel 7 battery is much much better.
You probably use iPhone now like most of the people and maybe it works better for you with better battery, but it's total privacy nightmare and it's closed source, so no thank you.  

Nope, it's a OnePlus Nord running LineageOS. You could not pay me to use an iPhone. OK, well if you give me enough I might use one, but I would still carry an Android device :-)
The battery was not fixable in software, 100% just a bad battery, it would heat up to the point of the phone shutting down even with a 2 amp charger. Was just a bad battery out of the box, it happens, but there was no way they tested it before shipping.


With that being said I put Graphene on the 4A late yesterday and it seems to be working. Had to jump through a few more hoops then listed here: https://grapheneos.org/usage#sandboxed-google-play-esim to get my esim working. Once that was good I went to bed, will do more testing later or tomorrow. At 1st use it seems slower then what was there stock, but it's been a while since I used that phone so I may be relating it more to what I have been using now. Threw them a donation since it's the right thing to do.

-Dave

[dkbit98]

Nope, it's a OnePlus Nord running LineageOS. You could not pay me to use an iPhone.

Oh that's nice, and I didn't know that phone was supproted, but is LineageOS actually doing regular updates or not?
I heard DivestOS os better and it's also based on LineageOS with some improvements.

With that being said I put Graphene on the 4A late yesterday and it seems to be working. Had to jump through a few more hoops then listed here: https://grapheneos.org/usage#sandboxed-google-play-esim to get my esim working. Once that was good I went to bed, will do more testing later or tomorrow. At 1st use it seems slower then what was there stock, but it's been a while since I used that phone so I may be relating it more to what I have been using now. Threw them a donation since it's the right thing to do.

I am glad you managed to install everything and you got GrapheneOS working.
Make sure to check out their website Usage and FAQ pages for any help, or check out Side Of Burritos on youtube for some tips and tricks, he talked about esim also.
One thing I like about this OS is the fact they are updating everything very fast, much faster than CalyxOS or other alternatives.
For donations, I think they are going to accept Lightning Network soon with their node, but until then mainnet Bitcoin is accepted.

[DaveF]

Nope, it's a OnePlus Nord running LineageOS. You could not pay me to use an iPhone.

Oh that's nice, and I didn't know that phone was supproted, but is LineageOS actually doing regular updates or not?
I heard DivestOS os better and it's also based on LineageOS with some improvements.

With that being said I put Graphene on the 4A late yesterday and it seems to be working. Had to jump through a few more hoops then listed here: https://grapheneos.org/usage#sandboxed-google-play-esim to get my esim working. Once that was good I went to bed, will do more testing later or tomorrow. At 1st use it seems slower then what was there stock, but it's been a while since I used that phone so I may be relating it more to what I have been using now. Threw them a donation since it's the right thing to do.

I am glad you managed to install everything and you got GrapheneOS working.
Make sure to check out their website Usage and FAQ pages for any help, or check out Side Of Burritos on youtube for some tips and tricks, he talked about esim also.
One thing I like about this OS is the fact they are updating everything very fast, much faster than CalyxOS or other alternatives.
For donations, I think they are going to accept Lightning Network soon with their node, but until then mainnet Bitcoin is accepted.

LineageOS has a fairly large amount of supported devices: https://wiki.lineageos.org/devices/ and their nightly builds are always updated: https://download.lineageos.org/dre/changes/

As for GrapheneOS I lied about the esim working, can't get calls in, I can only make outgoing. A physical sim works fine. I think it's a carrier issue, on hold with T-Mobile now. If you never hear from me again you know I died waiting for them to pick up. Watching some Side Of Burritos videos now.

-Dave

[dkbit98]

As for GrapheneOS I lied about the esim working, can't get calls in, I can only make outgoing. A physical sim works fine. I think it's a carrier issue, on hold with T-Mobile now. If you never hear from me again you know I died waiting for them to pick up. Watching some Side Of Burritos videos now.

It could be a carrier issue, but you could also try asking for help on their forum discuss.grapheneos.org or on social media.
Try watching video posted below about eSIM on GrapheneOS, maybe it will help you, or search in website for solution.
I don't like using eSIM very much, but I know there is some tweak settings to make it work as normal in GrapeheneOS, I just can't remember what it was.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zrw8TaAFa5A

[DaveF]

2 1/2 hours later it's a T-Mobile issue. I figured it was since I could make calls so the OS could talk to the esim. Turns out that if you don't use it for a while you miss updates to the programming and you have to have them refresh it. Important tip for the $10 / month spare phone in a draw thing. And Side Of Burritos drives a Honda Accord, was watching the video you linked to and I see that dashboard every day.

Side note if you are thinking of getting a 7 there are a few discounts / rebates going on depending on where you are located:

https://www.zdnet.com/article/google-pixel-7-pro-deal-prime-day-october-amazon-sale/
https://www.express.co.uk/life-style/science-technology/1680560/Google-Pixel-7-Pro-release-price-free-Pixel-Watch-deal

There are others you just have to hunt around a bit

-Dave

[dkbit98]

Side note if you are thinking of getting a 7 there are a few discounts / rebates going on depending on where you are located:

I saw they are offering great deals with especially good price is for Pixel 7 non-pro  model, while 7 pro is just to expensive in my opinion, and price difference is a lot.
Now all they have to do is start giving some special deals and discounts when you make a purchase with Bitcoin... or maybe someone is doing that already and I don't know about it

PS
Play around with both cameras on your Pixel 4a and compare them.
You can use standard preinstalled Graphene camera app, or you can install enable sandboxed Google Play compatibility layer and install official GoogleCam app.
Video recordings are much better with official GoogleCam app, but they are improving it all the time, and you can use both.