Reading the pros and cons list made it very clear to me that I'll never switch to GrapheneOS.
And Google maps does not require a Google account. I always use my android phones without any Google account and maps works fine. I think OSMAnd is way way better anyway but they don't have the public transport integration so I still use Google maps for that once in a while. For everything else OSMAnd really rocks and its maps are better than what Google and apple offer especially when you're not a car user.
But really expecting apple level polish from a free outfit it's just not fair.
I care a lot less about the stuff that CAN be fixed than about what can't be.
Even the transport company's own site doesn't show that very accurately. But they're very manipulative. For example if a train is coming soon the signs upstairs don't show it because they don't want people rushing. Google shows the real data though, not their lies.
> Poor UI guidelines cause serious problems
> Doesn’t always recognize wired headphones when they’re plugged in the first time. Sometimes even the second time.
> Max volume is rather low for wired headphones, and there doesn’t seem to be a way to increase it.
> No decent Photos app alternative, except Google Photos but apparently with a lot of issues (I'm paraphrasing this one, it's really long)
> Google Wallet does not support NFC payments due to restrictions that Google imposes
> App Store madness
I recognize that some of those are features and not bugs for some users, like the "App Store madness" and the lack of a Photos app alternative, but overall those seem like huge gaps that make it a non-serious alternative.
Really I'm not sure why anyone who values convenience over security and privacy would even consider GrapheneOS. It's not made for normies. It's not advertised towards normies. It's an OS for schizos and tinkerers like me. It will never be a "serious alternative" to whatever manufacturers ship with their devices.
What really grinds my gears is people installing GrapheneOS and then loading google play services onto it. What's the point? Just stick with the stock OS. It works better and has all the features you want.
It makes a lot of sense to do that, since GrapheneOS sandboxes Google Play Services like any other app and you can revoke most of its permissions. On stock OS Play Services is privileged and has access to pretty much everything. So, using GrapheneOS with Play Services is a vast privacy/security improvement. And then we haven't even talked about rerouting location requests, etc.
Even if would use GrapheneOS and then set it up as closely as possible to Pixel OS, you still benefit from a lot of security/privacy improvements.
Personally I need them for my banking app (which is a shame but here we are), but I disallow network access for Google Play Services + disable Google Play app. The bank app works nice with that.
E.g. I need WhatsApp, because all of our daughter's school stuff, birthday parties, etc. is arranged through WhatsApp. GrapheneOS provides good middle ways. A new user could install Play Services in the owner profile and still get much better security than stock Android (because many more mitigations) and better privacy (because sandboxed Google Play). Next, they might have a separate profile for apps that require Play Services. Finally, once these apps are not needed anymore, they could get completely rid of Play Services.
A lie to make weak people feel slightly better about their crippling smartphone dependency.
It has nothing to do with weakness. People live in a world where they have social contacts and obligations (mortgage apps, banking apps, etc.) that happen to require apps that use Google Play Services. I am happy if people try to remove as many of the dependencies as they can get away with GrapheneOS.
Don't throw away the baby with the bathwater.
To those downvoting, please note that this person did not say that nobody should switch, only that the information provided was a clear indication that it is not the right fit for them.
I, for one, greatly appreciated the detailed pro/con list in the post, as many of these would be genuine annoyances to me, and would have probably taken several months to encounter all of them.