I wanted to share an interesting statistic with you. Approximately 1 out of every 25 people with a Google Pixel phone is running GrapheneOS right now. While it’s difficult to get an exact number, we can make educated guesses to get an approximate number.
How many GrapheneOS users are there? According to an estimate released by GrapheneOS today, the number of GrapheneOS devices is approaching 400,000. This estimate is based on the number of devices that downloaded recent GrapheneOS updates. Some users may have multiple devices, such as organizations, and some users may download and flash updates externally, but it’s the best estimate we have.
How many Google Pixel users are there? Despite Google’s extensive data collection, this one is surprisingly harder to estimate, since Google hasn’t released an exact number. There’s a number floating around that Google has 4-5% of the smartphone market, which is between 10 million and 13.2 million users in the United States. I can’t find the source of where this information came from. That number is problematic, too, because Japan supposedly uses more Google Pixel phones than the United States. The Pixel 9 series was also a big jump in market share for Google. I couldn’t find any numbers smaller than 10 million, and it made the math nice, so that is what I went with.
Putting the numbers together, it means that 4% of Google Pixel users are running GrapheneOS. That means in a room of 25 Google Pixel users, 1 of them will be a GrapheneOS user. If you include all custom Android operating systems, that number would certainly be much, much higher.
To put it into perspective, each pixel in this image represents ~5 Google Pixel users. Each white pixel represents that those ~5 people use GrapheneOS:
Even with generous estimates to Google’s market share, GrapheneOS still makes up a large portion of their users.
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One of my ideas for increasing GrapheneOS market share is to market GOS as the minimalist phone so many crave.
In recent times, I’ve stumbled across a handful of articles about how dumbphones are back, and how people crave more minimalist phones to curb smartphone addiction or otherwise.
GrapheneOS is a great minimalist phone that’s still “smart,” yet secure and private.
GOS is a way better option than dumbphones because:
How to say 4% and make it sound more impressive.
Makes sense. Pixel is the successor to Nexus, which was always meant for tinkerers. The Pixel is (was?) sold unlocked, too. Unless you bought it from a carrier.
Pixel is also underpowered compared to iPhone and Galaxy, but priced similarly. So either you buy it because you just love Google that much… or you want to do something else with it.
Wondering if Graphene OS supports the AI hallucination camera mode on the Pixel 10 Pro where you zoom it at “100X” and it makes up details. Don’t get me wrong here — as an iPhone/Galaxy user (I main the iPhone but I do use both, and have also used HTC and Motorola) I think the feature is awesome… unless you’re trying to capture text. In which case it won’t work. Well, it’ll try to work. It won’t work well. And I don’t suppose you could show it the text later and update the 100X photo, but if you had that opportunity, you would just take a better picture up close.
I have a Pixel 9 Pro because when I bought it it had the best camera that you can get in Europe. I tried the best iPhone and Samsung phones at the time and Pixel was for sure better, especially in low-light conditions.
Only Huawei has better cameras (by a fair margin as well). I’ve never experienced that it feels slow or underpowered, but maybe that’s the case on paper.
A lot of it is “on paper” as you say.
For example, iPhone uses NVMe SSD storage. The best Android phones use UFS, which is cheaper, and, “on paper,” slower. But there are other bottlenecks to consider, and in real world performance, UFS is at least as good.
I can only speculate as to why Apple uses the part that costs more and is only better in theory, but my best guess is that the iPhone is intended to be used for far longer than they’re marketed. Like Apple marketing would have you believe you need to upgrade every year or two, but Apple engineering would allow you to easily use an iPhone for five years, if you could resist the temptation of marketing. And it’s honestly not really that much different with Android. I have a 2019 Galaxy S10 that still runs relatively well. Could use a new battery, it doesn’t last long when it’s powered on, but it still runs well in the time it has.
Yeah I think a lot of Apple users get really attached to their gadgets and want to use them forever. Also, there’s the resale value that helps the kind of customer that wants to buy the new thing every year. So making sure that the products hold up for a long time is probably a really solid strategy for them.
Kinda/sorta. The resale value is better than on the Android side, but it’s still pretty damn insulting. Mainly because storage doesn’t matter. So you pay more for the extra storage, but you don’t see any of that returned in the resale. If you’re playing the resale game, either stick with base storage, or sell privately (in which case you can’t really say Apple resale is higher, it’s whatever people will pay). But better than either way? Buy a phone that’s a couple years old. Take advantage of the resale situation, but then of course you risk inheriting someone else’s problem. And always always always buy an iPhone in person, and ensure the person has properly signed out of it (and turned off “Find My”). Too many people sell without doing that, and move the money, and you can’t get your money back, and you can’t use the phone either. Don’t let it happen to you. But if you deal with honest people (or ensure their honesty) it removes one issue.
You are comparing worldwide numbers to US-only numbers.
Yeh, that’s crazy maths…
Like and subscribe and SLAM that “press x to doubt” button so we can grow awareness that there’s literally no way this is true in any universe.
They are comparing USA pixel users with worldwide graphene users…
The world is more than the USA
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I’ve heard you can’t use banking apps on graphene os, how do you get around that? And are there any other trade offs that you have to make for more privacy?
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Both of my banking apps (Wells Fargo and Amex) work just fine for me. Amex doesn’t remember my phone and needs 2fa every login, but that’s fine with me.
Considering that if you use a custom ROM, you’re a pro user, the 1% of the users, this means only one of this two cases:
The Google Pixel line is a complete failure and failed to reach mainstream status, nobody knows the brand and buys the phones in a store, they’re moving 1000x less units than Apple
There’s some error in your numbers
I wouldn’t consider myself a pro user but graphene was so easy to install. One click of a button while it’s connected to my computer!
But I’d bet it’s a mix of 2 and 3.
I bought my mom a pixel and installed graphene on it and gave her. She is by no means a power user. Never underestimate the will of nerds to go a step further :)
Graphene explicitly says the 400k are worldwide. You cannot then go ahead and use the US numbers for your comparison. From your own source, Google shipped 10 million Pixel 9 devices in 2023 alone. This does not account for other/older pixel models, or the sum total of sales before that point, or since.
Why not just share the actual number: worldwide, there’s 400k users.
How could they know the actual user count? All they can see is number of downloads, right?
The number of recent updates, it seems. Which is probbaly an OK metric.
You’re right, that is reasonable
Isn’t it a bit schitzoid to use an os designed to escape google on a google phone??
No other hardware offers the required security hardware features. At the moment, the developers are working to support a model from another, undisclosed vendor.
So you get privacy from individuals while signing up to a company provenly offering back doors to government. It makes sense in the way that govenrment is not going to empty your bank account for sure. But I would call that safety and not privacy.
You don’t need to sign up for any service if you install GOS on Pixel hardware.
The back door can be made in the hardware
Insist on open auditable hardware then.
Currently, only the Pixel hardware has all the hardware security features GrapheneOS wants. They could support other devices, but then they would have to compromise on security, which is something they don’t want to do. A while ago it was reported that they were looking to partner up with another manufacturer, but I haven’t heard anything about that since.
GrapheneOS is popular with degoogling, but that’s not its primary goal. If there is a tradeoff between independence from Google and security, they will always choose to increase security.
GrapheneOS is also probably the only custom rom that cooperates with Google to get access to vulnerabilities and patches before the embargo is lifted.
If you want to be completely independent from Google, GrapheneOS is not what you’re looking for. Its it’s a security focused os that also has some degoogling features, not the other way around.
At the same time, I run Graphene with no Google services or apps and it’s fantastic. The only thing vs a rom with microg, is you need to be able to depend on unified push or background listening for push notifications. Imo this is actually more de-googled than connecting to Google services with an open source client (which still results in your phone having a constant connection to Google). Graphene also provides options to connect to proxies or alternative services for things like location services, DNS, internet connectivity checks (which can also just be turned off), etc.
You are right.
I suppose I am a little bit frustrated with the fact that there are 4,9 billion smartphone users and yet 0,5% chance of having a non-US integrated phone. If someone had said that will be the future in 2007, I think most everybody would have thought it preposterous.
Sounds like you want a Fairphone.
I’m worried for “us” not for me :D
It seems like the last breaths of the “do no evil” mantra. Your other options are like Fairphone or the yet to be released Hiroh phone with /e/os which is another flavor of degoogled android.
At the moment Pixel phones are the easiest for people in the US market to degoogle
Thanks for the clarification!
Somehow I am not surprised that the only phone able to use software not made by google is a phone made by google. Or, of course, you can buy iPhone and comply with NSA that way.
I am going to take a lucky guess and say this is by design and not by accident.
I’m not sure what the exact reason is. I would guess the people within Google running the Pixel program still have the freedom to make the phones like that. I don’t think it will last forever, especially if people start adopting degoogled phone operating systems at scale.
And none of them are Linus from Tech Tips. :P
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That image is a horrible way to represent any ratio. I love it!
I actually do like it. I don’t see it as trying to show an actually accurate ratio, or for you to be able to make an informed decisions from it. I read it as a vibe check, just a quick “what would a room fu LLM of pixel users” look like.
I’m not sure if that’d be what it’d look like… distributions are hardly ever that heterogeneous.
I’d bet all the GrapheneOS users would get together in their own corner and nerd out about their customizations.
For the record: 1 in 25 is 4% …the image gives (intentionally?) the illusion of the proportion being higher.
Google sold 40 million Pixels between 2016 and 2023, and that number has grown rapidly in the last few years. I think an estimate of around 40 million active Pixel phones is reasonable, which would give GrapheneOS a relative market share of 1%; certainly less than 2%.
I’m certain that most people between 2016 and 2023 bought multiple devices to upgrade old ones.
Have you ever been outside? In any social situation? Have you ever seen anyone with a Graphene OS phone in those situations other than you? No?
Then your estimates are wrong.
Do you walk up to every stranger with a Pixel if they run GrapheneOS? No?
Lol I talk to family, friends, colleagues, people I play ports with. Have literally never once seen a Graphene phone.
I literally cannot think of anyone anymore who even roots their phone, let alone installs a third party OS.
Y’all are honestly deluded if you think it’s remotely close to OPs numbers.
I doubt OP’s numbers, but your experience is not representative data of anything except your friend group.
Friend group, work group, sports groups, friends of friends met at parties etc. It’s a sample size in the hundreds, and includes dozens who used to root their phones and install third party OSes in the early days of Android. It’s not insignificant to see zero usage when OP is claiming 50%. If their numbers are to be believed there should be regions where there’s close to 100% usage.
I’m on, I think, my 3rd Pixel. All of them were chosen because of the possibility of putting a third-party firmware on them, but my current one is the first I’ve actually done it to.
One one hand, a superior ROM choice
On the other hand, subpar crappy Google hardware
I am a freak who would die happy if this OS somehow made it onto my Unihertz Jellystar
Totally agree processor wise. But can you give me a phone that has bigger camera sensor (+telephoto) than Pixel 9 Pro that has a screen smaller than 6.3 inches?
Hi, Google Pixel user here, wtf is GrapheneOS? And why should I get it?
The lead Dev of graphene has a very bad history. Just Google Daniel Micay
I recommend avoiding it.
You shouldn’t. Its a project from a mentally ill person who can’t be trusted.
How is everybody stupid enough to follow murena and calyx’s propaganda. Graphene is years ahead of them in terms of security, that’s why they want to get rid of them to sell you a subpar, less open product (edit: actually sell, they sell preinstalled phones). And fuck you, autistics aren’t mentally ill.
You swallowed the kool-aid.
And I’m autistic, but not an asshole like you and Daniel.
GrapheneOS is a privacy and security focused operating system for your phone, based on Android. It provides much more security than stock Android. If you want a more private or secure device, then GrapheneOS is the go-to recommendation for Pixel devices.
It’s barbones Android, without the Google. You can add the Google stuff if you want, but by default, it comes completely de-Googled.
It also comes with some extra features, like granular app-level permissions, sandboxed Google Play Services (which a lotta apps use), duress PIN, and more.
Widely regarded as the safest and most private “commercial” mobile operating system.
Disclaimer: I run SwapMyOS, a GrapheneOS/custom ROM installation service.
essentially grapheneOs is just plain android, with additional security features/ hardening. It is said to be the most secure (normal) Os in the world.
And one of the nicest feature in my opinion is, that all the google stuff is optional. So play store and play service is just another app. (Instead of a system level privileged process)
And in my opinion, it is just the better operating system.
https://grapheneos.org/features
I think you, the question should be “why should i not get it” and the answer to this is if, you either need NFC payment (does not work (depending on bank)), or you dont want an app to ever not work, because some apps dont work on it (google play integrety check is the reason)
And it should be mentioned, that grapheneOs has one of the best web installer out there, it is easier to install then any linux distro. It was a dream really.
(and for switching the data transfer might be annoying)
Pixels are dirt cheap because Google is harvesting massive amounts of data from Pixel users, so they give them away.
GrapheneOS lets you have a cheap Pixel without Google knowing everything about you, and those near you.
Pixels cost around the same as any other phone from Samsung, Oneplus, or whatever.
Maybe if you’re buying them outright?
Where I am, you can get them (with a contract obviously) for 0 dollars up front and like 4 bucks a month for 2 years. And no other similar phone has the same deals. So it could be between Google and the cell provider.
Sure but if Google wanted to push the devices onto people because of tracking purposes wouldn’t they also make them cheaper to buy outright?
I don’t think so. Better to have captive customers on contracts if that is their goal, no?
For the ISP sure, but for Google? I don’t really think they would care all that much.
I guess what I’m getting at is if you buy a phone outright, you have no incentive to keep using it…other than of course wasting your money. But there’s no additional penalty keeping you from leaving the Pixel ecosystem, the financial damage is done.
On a contract, you have a financial penalty for the act of leaving early. So it disincentivizes leaving before 2 years or whatever the length of the contract.
So Google can say to carriers "Hey, we will subsidize our phones for you so you can give them away on contract. You get a captive customer, we get good odds of 2 years of valuable data.
I don’t know if I’m right about any of this, but it explains a lot of questions I have about why Pixels are far and away the best value you can get on contract with any provider, where I am anyway.
Give them away? Not really, Samsung S series are the same pricing as pixels here where I live. The pixel a is different of course, it’s more like a Samsung FE.