Best phone to get GrapheneOS right now is a 6th gen Pixel device. 6a will have a few months longer support since it was just released. 6 and 6 Pro have superior hardware (and notably more RAM), although the 6a shares the same SoC and some users may prefer its form factor.

You can't go wrong with any of these three devices.

I just switched from an iPhone 13 Pro to a 6a for GOS. I have had none of the problems reported on r/GooglePixel. My fingerprint sensor works quickly. Battery life is excellent, I've been on the phone constantly just getting the feel for GOS, so no complaints there. Overall, I'm extremely happy with the phone.

If you're on the fence, consider buying it and really testing it out for a couple of weeks. If there is any hiccup in the phone's performance, similar to what's been reported, just return it. That's how I approached it and so far it's working out.

Now, if only I could get my imessage group chats to switch to Signal...

    spiral wow really? Thats amazing, especially cause im using a 13 pro right now.

    But did you test the phone with GOS on it? Cause i dont think you can trade the phone if you installed a custom ROM on it, atleast not in my country / provider.

      switchup

      I bought the phone outright and used it for a few hours with stock Android. I jiay decided to take the plunge, installed GOS on it. I'm selling the 13 Pro, the 6a with GOS is absolutely fantastic.

      Of course now, when I go back to my 13 Pro for a moment, I'm struck by how smooth iOS is. But Android/GOS is great and the usefulness of gos is far beyond iOS, for me.

        spiral The 13 pro has a 120hz screen while the 6a has 60. This might explain the missing "smoothness". The p6pro also provides 120hz

          I do wonder if maybe some of the fingerprint sensor issues Pixel owners are complaining about are a result of glass screen protectors that aren't properly index-matched. There's a reason why Google only blesses certain models from certain brands on their store. If you use the wrong screen protector, the FP image sensor might see a heavily skewed image and will behave very poorly and unreliably. I know I had that very issue with a Poetic case with a cheap plastic protector that featured and adhesive dot for the FP sensor that was supposed to fix the issue. It didn't. Completely flakey performance. So don't cheap out on those accessories. Not with something so often used as the sensor you use to unlock your device.

            PacoBell i bought a $10 screen protector and the finger print sensor is sucking perfectly

            here too P6P with mowei curved glass screen protector, fingerprint works fine

            you definitely need a 6th gen device - due to the change of google's support lifetime (pixel5=3yrs, pixel6=5yrs), the economics are not even close. Get a 6a, 6, or 6pro

            personally i'd recommend against the 6a unless you're really on the margins of being able to afford it. I've been on a type devices for many years (pixel4a and before that the pixel2 which has more in common form-factor with the 4a and 6a than the newer flagships). I'm now on pixel6

            the larger screen & battery of the 6 is really nice (without adding too much physical size, due to small bezels) but the next two actually affect economics:

            • wireless charging: easier to keep battery in the SOC you prefer; and less wear on a common failure point (the USB port). In ~ 10 "phone years" of adult usage on our family plan, we've had two usb ports fail out of warranty.
            • waterproof. I'm on pixel6 ... because the 4a is not waterproof, and I had a momentary slip of mind :(

            p6pro seems great too, and the telephoto would be nice for traveling; but the curved screen detracts from usability and the price isn't justified. $450->$600 vs $900 in the USA.

            last, note that with the pixel7 2 months from release, there are some deals now for pixel6 (still 4 years supported life)

              5 days later

              hexagonal-lattice the pro has the advantage of better storage space options (though they charge through the nose for it, on top of the pro premium)

              12 days later

              Hey Guys, please do not carried away with this Six thing….
              Whilst I agree that some websites may be linked to iPhones and other high market share offerings and big each other up I was shocked by the criticism of Pixel’s 6 series phones and its Tensor chip being so bad at draining the battery putting it near the bottom of their database.
              I’m still looking at the 6a but now having doubts about what I thought was a rosy picture as in indeed you guys paint. My beloved Pixel 3a is still going strong after more than two years.
              What do you think about these reports and tests?
              Should this be posted under a different topic – please edit my post if you think so…?

              https://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/google-fix-pixel-7-tensor-battery-performance-please/

              https://www.dxomark.com/google-pixel-6-pro-battery-test/

              6th generation Pixels pretty much work perfect now on Android 13.

              • Andy replied to this.