d9780

Everything is virtually the same from the OS end. The differences would be hardware-related, like screen refresh rate, wireless charging, etc.

From what I've read on here, others who have the 6a are happy with their phones as well. I don't recall anyone saying their usage has been affected by less memory.

I did a quick search and found this quote: https://discuss.grapheneos.org/d/1866-recomendation-pixel-6a-or-7/2. Seems like a community member, spiral, is okay with their 5a and I think their quick review is pretty objective. Maybe it can be helpful for you.

    d9780
    I just upgraded from the 6a to 7 solely for screen brightness. In the sunny southwest I couldn't read the 6a while driving wearing sunglasses even on max brightness. The 7 gets much brighter, reportedly brighter than the 6 as well. But even the 7 doesn't match the old Samsung A71 5G screen.

    7's wireless charging is a nice to have, but with GrapheneOS's 2 day battery life, I had zero "charger anxiety" on the 6a.

    Personally I have never used 4 GB of RAM, much less 6 or 8 GB on any Android phone even with loads of apps and browser tabs open. For privacy/security I try to keep any apps I'm not actually using closed.

      newbie24689 I'm always a little suspicious of any article that states "some" or "one owner"... media tends to overhype issues and of course we know that competitors aren't above 'leaking' a story like this.

          unwat
          Im trying to buy a 6a, but I can't find out if they are truly unlocked. They all advertise as unlocked, but upon closer read, there only partially unlocked.... I want to use a mint mobile SIM.
          Also, is OEM Greyed Out an issue I want to b concerned with that could affect Graphene functionality?

              d9780

              Your best bet is to buy it directly from Google. They're always unlocked.

              You need to enable OEM unlock to flash GrapheneOS on a phone. If it's locked, the OEM unlock toggle will be greyed out.

                Good points, lcalamar

                Fortunately, the article contains links - beyond the initial claim - that tend to substantiate the issue:

                https://www.reddit.com/r/GooglePixel/comments/ystkdy/pixel_7_back_camera_glass_broken/

                https://twitter.com/hashtag/pixel7brokencamera?src=hashtag_click

                https://twitter.com/CSThrowaway/status/1607176567079190528

                I'd guess that in a couple of weeks there will be a lot more understood about these claims and this possible issue.

                    d9780
                    I've got my as new pristine 6a with Athlex case, glass screen protector with GrapheneOS loaded. Never dropped, always cased and screen protected for $300 + shipping if you want it. It's my upgrade leftover that I haven't sold yet.

                    And yes, there is NO by-passing the Bootloaded Unlocked requirement. To my knowledge ONLY direct from Google no carrier relationship Pixel's are known to be Bootloader Unlocked. Carrier unlocked is INSUFFICIENT. I learnt this the hard way :-)

                        newbie24689
                        I'm a "media skeptic" and "in a mood" this fine New Year's morning so... That's some damned fine "journalism" by Forbes Technology Reporter to pull unverified posts off Twitter and/or Reddit :-)
                        Wonder how many P7's have already shipped?
                        Did Google get outspent by Apple and Samsung at Forbes over the holiday season?

                          Aaron

                          Hey Aaron
                          I'll take it for sure. How should we make the exchange?

                            I just switched from an iPhone that I've had for 2 years to a Pixel 7 and my first time on Graphene. I've been using my P7 for 5 days now and absolutely love it. Prior to the iPhone, I had androids with lots of custom roms (Cyanogen and others) on various Pixel phones.

                            All that said, I'm in love with my P7 and GrapheneOS.