If the sim isn't KYC'd, the plan will be. That's why I stick with Tracfone, you just buy the phone, add time and go.
I'd love to go for a custom ROM like Graphene but Tracfone tends to favor Samsungs (and I have to say I vastly prefer their hardware to Pixels). I figure for now, my solution of using Canta to get rid of a lot of the spyware, while replacing as much as possible with FOSS alternatives is the best avenue for me. If I could afford to have a second phone, I'd just get a separate one for privacy purposes but I can't afford to even upgrade my phone (which is technically EoL) let alone buy a second phone.
Pixel hardware has the best security infrastructure (which is why it the preferred choice for Graphene). I wouldn't hesitate to purchase a Pixel over any other phone currently in the marketplace.
My objective is privacy...and for that, there is no better choice than Pixel and #GrapheneOS
(You really should try it--there will be some great deals on Google phones on Black Friday - expecting a nice deal on Pixel 8s and any 7s they still have in stock. I may upgrade my wife's phone at that time...)
I've seen and held Pixels, they're butt ugly and don't really feel good in the hand, IMO. I'm not able to afford a new phone as it is, even on sale, so I'm just stuck for now (as unfortunate as it may be).
dude
you're using Tracphone and complaining about the feel of Pixels 😒
What are you saying? Tracfone usually runs with Samsungs now...
Hmmm...all phones kind of look the same to me, and I always have a case on, so...
One thing I don't like about the Pixel is the on/off and the volume buttons are too close together, and (especially with the case I have) I often turn the phone off by mistake.
And I really don't like the virtual keyboard that comes with #GrapheneOS (although I understand they're working on that).
And yet, I've owned iPhones as well as stock Android phones in the past, and I have to say I've been most happy with Graphene.
One of the biggest plusses is battery life--without all the "bloatware" and spyware from carriers and from Google / Facebook / etc. that are "loaded at startup" and always on, I find I really never have to charge my phone during the day. It's been a revelation...
Just sharing my experience (good and bad)...
No worries, I appreciate your input. I might go this route someday but I'm not giving up Tracfone for it lol, so if I do go for Graphene, it'll only be if I can confirm with them that Graphene works with their service.
Hmmm...don't expect it'd be an issue. The carrier's service is tied to the SIM card...looking at their website, they support Google Pixel and GSM, CDMA, 4G LTE, and 5G.
They check compatibilty via the IMEI, so that's based on the Pixel hardware (not software). You should be all set. 😃
Good to know for whenever I upgrade, thanks. Just concerned about effectively ruining the phone if it ends up NOT working with Tracfone regardless.
Well, if you don't like Graphene you can always just download the Google image and reload that...back to a normal Pixel...(or Tracfone).
It's not that I think I won't like it, I'm just concerned something weird will happen, whether in their TOS or something like that, especially since everyone's moving to eSIM.
Well, Pixels have both eSIM and a traditional SIM slot--you can run either (or both simultaneously if you want 2 lines on the same phone). 😃
Wasn't aware of that, I appreciate the info and will look further into it! I won't be able to afford a new phone anytime soon though, so I have some time to look it over.
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