I am looking to buy a Pixel just to install Graphene. My most recent Pixel is the OG from 2016 so its been a while. In my country, these are the available models: 9, 9a, 9 pro, 9 pro xl, 10, 0 pro and 10 pro xl.
These are my criteria:
- good battery
- i dont like big phones. So the XL models are out.
- storage not an issue. I’m fine witht the small 256 from 9a or even the 1tb from Pro.
- Easy to repair. I was 90% for the 9a until JerryRig’s video showed how the battery is almost impossible to take out. So if phone is dead => time for a new phone.
For 1) on paper, the 9a has the largest battery. But recently I saw a post from the Graphene discord, where someone got a 10 Pro (XL?) running Graphene with like 3 days SOT. Absolutely insane. Couldnt find that message anymore though.
Unfortunately none of them have easily replaceable batteries. I wouldn’t get anything below the 9 due to the terrible, terrible optical fingerprint sensors on the others. The 9 and up use proper ultrasonic fingerprint sensors.
I sadly can’t put Graphene on my pixel because I bought it through Verizon before I knew about their bootloader locking, but I have a 7 pro and the fingerprint sensor works completely fine.
The optical sensors are blinding in the dark and unreliable in my experience (I had a Pixel 7 non-pro). Also I do think you can get Verizon to unlock it for you, could be wrong though.
I’m going to try to get it unlocked once it’s paid off later this year. As for the sensor, it definitely can be blinding but I’ve never had issues with it not working. Good to know newer ones don’t have the blinding problem!
Pretty sure if you paid off the contract with the phone Verizon will unlock it for you.
It’ll be paid off later this year and I’m going to give it a shot, but I’m pretty sure from the research I’ve done they’ll unlock the carrier so you can use it with a different network. The bootloader they refuse to unlock for any phone purchased through them.
There’s no need for fingerprint sensor gimmick
I mean, that’s fair, but I use it for the two factor feature in Graphene.
Found the guy without fingers!