14-year-long iOS user here. I recently decided to make the switch to Android. I'm having trouble deciding between an S24U/S24+ and a P8P for the privacy/security offerings of Graphene. To my dismay, however, that would force me to go with a P8P, an inferior device by every metric. Also, their device bundles aren't as good as Samsung's since I'll be needing a new watch and Bluetooth earbuds.

I'm someone who does value my privacy/security, which I understand inherently comes at the cost of usability, but I have my limits. If the cost to usability is too high, I don't want to burden myself too much over it. I know there are debloaters out there for Samsung but they don't come close to what graphene provides.

Another thing to bear in mind is that I am coming from the world of iOS, where at the cost of my control/freedom over the device, the usability is unmatched. Jumping all the way to Graphene will certainly be felt and I wonder if it would be too jarring for someone like me.

So, i suppose I'm weighing whether the cost in usability is worth missing out on the superior hardware and interface of a new Galaxy phone. I've heard Graphene has made a lot of improvements over the years though, like Android Auto functionality finally being a thing. Has anyone been in a similar situation? How hard was it to adjust usability-wise for anyone else who switched from iOS to GOS?

    Ironjically Honestly, what are you doing that requires 'superior hardware'

    I'm very happy with how my Pixel 6a handles.

    Get used to sideloading is my best advice for iOS to GOS :)

      I just recently started using GOS and I haven't had any issues with usability. Which features are you concerned about specifically?

        Ironjically I haven't experienced either of those. Everything is working exactly as my last set up. (I came over from stock Android)

        The only things I miss are small quality of life features, like how the auto adjust screen light used to "learn" where I liked it. Nothing major.

          Ironjically
          Hello Ironjically,
          There's no need to give up your Bluetooth headphones!
          I've just kept using the AirPods Pro (2nd gen) since I changed my main device.
          Since I also have a MacBook Air M2 and play music on it at home, that's ideal anyway.
          But even if there had already been a fanless Linux notebook and I had bought that, I could still use the AirPods Pro because all the functions I need every day can be operated directly without an app.

          Bluetooth headphones are disposable products – buy them once and use them until they break – you can't repair them, you can only throw them away when the battery wears out.
          If there is a problem during the warranty period, you can leave it to Apple to throw it away and get a free replacement. If something unfortunate happens afterwards, you have to buy a new one.
          So I use these AirPods until they break. No matter which smartphone. ;-)

          Some words about the quality of the newest Pixel 8 Pro (which I have been using myself since November 2023):
          Yes, not the very best processor. But very finished workmanship, good materials. Sophisticated design.
          And a real beauty in the Obsidian colour variant (looks much better in real life than on photos).
          Tip: the device is only available in Obsidian with max. storage capacity. Only in the USA up to 1 TB, otherwise max. 512 GB.
          What a disgrace! This is discrimination against all non-Americans! :-(
          But as Samsung customer you know this discrimination, For many years, Samsung has only sold crippled devices to Europe - with inferior processors and, above all, ridiculously little memory.
          This has only improved somewhat in the last 5 years or so.

          Conclusion:
          If you're willing to do without the colourful funny gimmicks (sometimes pointless or quickly becoming boring) of a Samsung S24 or original Google Android 14 and see your phone as a nice useful tool, a Pixel 8 Pro with its 12 GB RAM and 512 GB (USA: 1 TB) of storage with GrapheneOS will be perfect!

              Ironjically To my dismay, however, that would force me to go with a P8P, an inferior device by every metric.

              Not really. It was Samsung that shipped 100 million phones with broken encryption.

              Ironjically I'm someone who does value my privacy/security...

              I'd avoid Samsung and any other phone manufacturer that isn't Apple or Google. They do make the most secure devices.

              I switched from iOS to Android and been loving it ever since. I did switch straight to GOS though, so I'm not sure what a Stock Pixel would be like. I never had many apps on my iPhone and didn't use all the features, so the switch was easy. I only have six apps that I installed, all the rest come with GOS.

                  Ironjically that would force me to go with a P8P, an inferior device by every metric.

                  I just took a look at the specs side by side, and they seem pretty similar to me. Past experience with samsuck has been TERRIBLE, so I'd avoid them at all costs. Yes, P8P is also a samsuck device, unfortunately. But at least the software is managed by somebody BESIDES them.

                    Ironjically To my dismay, however, that would force me to go with a P8P, an inferior device by every metric

                    Inferior to what ? The P8P is a solid, high-performance device with a smooth experience even without GOS, many smartphone models have offered terrible experiences because of the software while the hardware performed well in benchmarks, its performance test results are meaningless for most uses. In addition to various improvements, the P8/P8P uses ARM V9 for MTE and GrapheneOS is the first platform to use it, and it's fully functional.