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submitted 2 days ago by merompetehla@lemmy.ml to c/linux@lemmy.ml

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ml/post/34045100

still deciding to fully degoogle with GOS or muddling through with what I have (proprietary, data grabbing and bloated).

To understand the question, compare with my main hardware with debian on it: a regular notebook I bought in 2016 and I've used heavily for all kinds of stuff: working, writing papers, downloading and playing media including AV1, editing audio, torrenting...

One of the best investments I ever made, considering what I paid and how prices nowadays are. Debian offers regular upgrades and I don't have to check if my hardware is going to support the software on a level comparable with android devices (GOS only runs on pixels, other open-source, privacy focused Android operating systems have similar hardware restrictions).

I want this kind of ROI for the device I buy and the software I use, but I don't know if that's possible:

GOS drops support for older pixels but I don't know how many years any particular device is supported by GOS: 3 years? not enough. There's no way I'm buying a new pixel every 3 years. I'd even consider 6 years restrictive.

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[-] unique_hemp@discuss.tchncs.de 17 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

You can probably expect GOS support as long as Google supports the device, that is the main limitation. For the newer Pixels that is promised to be 7 years after release.

Going by this table, Pixel 6 is currently the oldest to get full GOS updates

That matches Google's software support

[-] OhVenus_Baby@lemmy.ml 2 points 1 day ago

Just an FYI for those who think like this. I DID TOO.

Your cellular chip and network carrier will often phase out your frequency bands 2 to 3 years before the 7 year mark. Thus your service (internet/data) will not work long before your device loses updates. You will get fed up with your device and buy another pixel roughly every 3 generations to keep with reliable internet connectivity.

[-] GenderNeutralBro@lemmy.sdf.org 5 points 1 day ago

This must depend on country and carrier. My carrier has never removed 4G or 5G bands. They've added new ones and they've phased out 2G and some 3G but that's all. My phones from 10 years ago can still connect just fine, although obviously newer ones are faster.

[-] OhVenus_Baby@lemmy.ml 3 points 1 day ago

Few posts down I wrote two replies to some questions. This is also correct. They don't phase out your network. They alter it. You will still have 4G and 5G it's simply that we are still playing with the frequency bands for each tower and transmitter type. As we try to nail down the best functioning wave lengths. Your internet should relatively function the same and I say relatively loosely. For better or worse. Those bands 4g and 5g are not leaving, they just get altered.

We keep a standard set of bands like n71 and a handful of others. But there's also many more inside your cellular chipset that change each model. Which means it's possible your service could be more or less spotty. Depending on phone model, carrier, and location.

[-] furrowsofar@beehaw.org 5 points 2 days ago

This is the answer. GrapheneOS still needs the binary blob updates from Google or probably more correctly Googles suppliers.

this post was submitted on 02 Aug 2025
33 points (88.4% liked)

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