Steps to Purchase Pixel 8 Pro

protonuser2

Hi, I am a casual internet user looking to start my privacy journey.

Today I will be buying a Pixel 8 Pro from the official google store, carrier unlocked. Does this mean it will also be OEM unlocked such that I can flash GOS?

Secondly, should I be concerned about google knowing my address when I have it shipped to my residence? Are there any privacy steps you would recommend when buying a pixel?

Here is what I am thinking I will do: Purchase the phone while on ProtonVPN within brave using a burner Gmail. Anything else I should consider? I dont want the phone's imei (or any other identifier linked to me or my address)

[deleted]

protonuser2 What do you mean by "concerned"? It sounds like you're trying to acheive anonymity, which you can't because you're shipping it to your residence and i'm going to assume you're purchasing it with your credit card (which is also in your real name). Also, you must understand that using a VPN doesn't really make you totally anonymous. All you're doing is trusting the VPN provider instead of your ISP. Proton states that they don't log so you should be fine there, although i'm sure they can if they need to to avoid abuse. But know that proton can see your real IP address, so unless your home network is setup and funded anonymously, your proton account was setup and funded anonymously, proton can figure out who you are.

If you're just trying to reduce identifiers through your purchase, then yes anything helps. If you're trying to purchase a phone anonymously, you can't via the way you're doing it.

I don't know where you're located, but if you want to purchase a phone anonymously then go in person to a best buy and buy one in cash.

router99

protonuser2 When you purchase it with a credit card, nothing else you do matters. Go to a physical store and buy it with cash.

raccoondad

If you buy an unlocked pixel directly from the pixel store, it will be OEM unlockable. Usually after you connect it to the internet (from my memory at least)

If you are worried about google having your address, which is completely up to you, then you can get a P.O box at any post office.

While the VPN can't hurt, I would keep in mind if you try to really hide your identity theres a good chance the warranty will be voided

protonuser2

raccoondad Thanks for the reply.

What do you mean about voiding warranty, Are you saying using a VPN when purchasing would cause that? That doesnt sounds right.

I presume flashing GOS is what voids the warranty, and that is acceptable

raccoondad

protonuser2 I mean more if you use a fake name, phone number, other identifiers, that theres a chance of it not being valid since they can't verify you as the purchaser. Just a theory however

A VPN/P.O box should be fine however

Flashing GOS will not void hardware warranty, in my experience, they even upgraded my phone for free.

protonuser2

oh ok thanks. Yea if that ever happens Im sure I can show reciept of purchase to prove I purchased it.

protonuser2

[deleted] I am in USA.

yea I was wanting to buy with case from BB, but read online stories of them not being OEM bootloader unlocked, and they were just carrier unlocked. So I was wary of BB.

[deleted]

protonuser2 Unless they (best buy) changed something with the 8, BB pixel's are fine for use with GOS.

protonuser2

Thanks, I'll be going to buy from BB in a few days with cash then.

Follow up Q: when I swap my sim with my current android and put it into the pixel, would this be seen as a privacy leak now that my carrier can associate all my old usage under that old sim and now tie all that to my new phone?

de0u

protonuser2 When I swap my sim with my current android and put it into the pixel, would this be seen as a privacy leak now that my carrier can associate all my old usage under that old sim and now tie all that to my new phone?

Maybe yes, maybe no. It depends on what you're trying to achieve! If you want nobody to know anything about you, it might be necessary to live in a cave and grow your own food. But if you are more specific in your goals they may be more easily achieved.

For example, if you want to conceal your daily motion track from Facebook, that can likely be done. If you want to conceal your phone's daily motion track from your cellular carrier... that can be done, but it's hard (people do advertise "PGP-encrypted SIM cards", but I would encourage big buckets of due diligence on that front).

[deleted]

protonuser2

Now that my carrier can associate ...

They always could link your usage to the sim, as it's your sim, naturally. What exactly are you asking?
By swapping do you mean you are getting a completely new sim?

[deleted]

protonuser2 Yes they can associate the usage between the two, because the telemetry of the usage is tied to the SIM, not the phone. You're still going to be using the same SIM in the new phone and even if you didn't, it wouldn't matter because your new SIM is still tied to your old account. I wouldn't call it a privacy leak persay, because your privacy is already leaked since your ID is tied to your SIM. There are lots of different considerations with cell phones, so without knowing what your actually concern is, I can't really give you accurate advice other than basic stuff (use a VPN with a killswitch, use signal when you can, and ideally switch to VOIP numbers, use a privacy browser, etc, etc). It all comes down to what you're trying to accomplish, that will decide the steps you need to take.