My current Samsung phone (S23) is struggling real bad. I need to change it. I’ve been focused on privacy lately and learnt about GrapheneOS. This is not really the point of my question. Rather the context.
What is the overall feedback of the Google Pixel 10a? I’m seriously considering it, refurbished. It looks compact enough, has space for a physical sim card…
I hope I’m making the right choice!!
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My Pixel 8a is perfect right now. The Pixel 10a seems to be a better phone if you can afford it: https://www.gsmarena.com/compare.php3?idPhone1=12937&idPhone2=14474#diff-
BUT I would install GrapheneOS on it, that’s the only OS I tolerate on Pixels.
I would say to pick up a 9a. Iirc they have identical specs, the only difference being the 10a will get software updates for one more year (because it came out a year later)
You don’t even get qi2 on the 10a which was the only feature I was looking forward to. I guess the display is slightly better and it charges faster(?) But it’s the same CPU so if you can get the 9a just get that.
https://store.google.com/magazine/compare_pixel?hl=en-US&toggler0=Pixel+10a&toggler1=Pixel+9a
I wonder if the 10’s display is less prone to burn in. Mine already has some that’s noticeable on blank images in less than 6 months. But I also use mine a lot in the car so I’m not the nicest to the display.
Agree, I’ve also heard almost no hardware improvements between these two.
10 is (20g?) heavier than 9a
I’d say get the 9a and immediately put lineageOS with MindTheGApps on it
It’ll be a good phone. Installing Graphene is ridiculously easy and it’ll be supported for a long time.
There are some trade-offs with GrapheneOS. You may not be able to use your online banking app (I can though). Tap to pay won’t work. Other unexpected things might not work: a local car co-op app won’t work for me and they annoyingly don’t have an option to book on the web.
There is a list of known working banking apps on gos: https://privsec.dev/posts/android/banking-applications-compatibility-with-grapheneos/
Basically mine all work, but I had to enable compatibility mode or other hoops for them
That’s an amazing resource. Thanks!
Tap to pay won’t work at all? I’ve been considering Graphene for when Google locks the OS. I don’t mind installing and running Play Store and Google Wallet, but I hadn’t considered that I might have to go back to ensuring I had my wallet with me every time I left the house.
By “tap to pay” do you just mean contactless payments? They do work, just not via Google Pay. I’m using something called “Curve Pay” which seems to work perfectly (and it’s now owned by Lloyd’s Bank in the UK so it’s not like its some random company I’m trusting). I believe there are other third party providers, apparently the PayPal app works but only if you’re in Germany.
Or just tape your card to the back of your phone for the simplest solution.
Anything that requires “strong” hardware integrity attestation using the Play Integrity API will fail because Google won’t add GrapheneOS and GrapheneOS won’t spoof it.
So Google wallet /Google pay won’t work. There may be other tap-to-pay apps that I’m not aware of that either use Android’s Integrity API or only require the weaker attestation that’s supported by GrapheneOS.
Same reason for all the other stuff I mentioned in my previous comment.
I like mine.
Mine’s been pretty good. It doesn’t feel like a huge upgrade from the 7a I traded in for it, but it’s been pretty solid so far.
7s and 7 pros are going for like $200 on Swappa.
The Samsung is probably struggling more than an equivalent Pixel would just because of all the garbage software and overlays Samsung shoves in their phones.
