Google Tensor has a bright future, but that puts interim Pixels in a tough spot
Google Tensor has a bright future in store, but that means the next couple of Pixels will be in a tough spot.
Hopefully the switch to TSMC will work out well for the Pixel 8 series. 🫰
You're viewing a single thread.
I was planning on getting the Pixel 8 but will hold out for a while. Would love to hold my Pixel 5 for a couple more years but security updates will stop end of this year so we'll see then.
You can still install LineageOS and probably get even more standby battery life (because I bet their build is more clean than Google's. Google and Pixel launcher together are taking 7% of my battery life with more than a day of background usage).
However the issue for me is that I like to keep the bootloader closed in case my phone is stolen. And I think with LineageOS they don't recommend doing that. So this is one of the reasons I never tried to install it in my wife's pixel 4.
The other reason is the time to restore all the apps, backup, check if the esim is still there and not deleted (it's a pita to get a new esim with my carrier) and all that kind of stuff.
You can use GrapheneOS which allows you to lock the bootloader
Yeah I used to be one of those people; rooted phone, custom ROM etc. But had problems with traveling and different bands on an old phone. Don't think it's worth the hassle anymore
I sometimes want to do it on my old devices like the Pixel 4 at home. But they are daily used.
And then sometimes I'm tempted in finding out what mods are there. For example in the Pixels you can change the background usage to "Restricted" but you can't change to "Denied" (so app can't do anything in background). And I understand some devices have this functionality. I think Samsung has it. (Restricted doesn't do shit with some apps like Instagram and TikTok).
I don't know if this is true for Qualcomm Pixels but on Tensor one esims are kept even when factory resetting/flashing a different OS.
Maybe it's the same case. But my carrier is so medieval that charges me 15€ everytime I need to print a new QR code to pair my esim with a device and they only issue this in a physical form. So this is why I would not give it a shot haha.