Running a GrapheneOS phone on a Motorola phone is going to be expensive to start. Locking the bootloader and verifying the OS on boot requires special hardware among other security hardware features. This is primarily for whistleblowers, privacy activists… whose threat model includes nation states and the megacorps they support. Regular folks just looking for privacy can use cheaper phones that run LineageOS or the privacy versions built upon it, but you’ll probably want to wipe devices if making border crossings and set things up for an easy restore on the other side, as you might have to unlock the device and let them rifle through it, or they’ll seize it and be able to break into it taking a full disk image like with Google’s stock Android. All the big tech companies seem to ensure their phones can be broken into by nation states and the security firms that support them, which is telling.
https://linuxiac.com/grapheneos-support-is-coming-to-motorola-flagships-in-2027/
GrapheneOS says the first officially supported Motorola devices are expected in 2027, starting with higher-end flagship models.
By Bobby Borisov
GrapheneOS has revealed that the first Motorola smartphones with official support for the open-source, security- and privacy-focused Android-based operating system are expected to arrive in 2027.
The news provides the first concrete timeframe since Motorola and GrapheneOS announced their partnership earlier this year. The companies confirmed they would work together on improving mobile security and making future Motorola hardware compatible with GrapheneOS, but no specific devices or launch window were given.
Now, GrapheneOS has shared a few more details. Responding to a user on Mastodon, the project said that the initial supported devices “should be available in 2027,” adding that the first models will be flagships.
That means they are not expected to be inexpensive. According to GrapheneOS, the initial Motorola devices will feature higher-end hardware than Google’s Pixel phones and will come at a higher price.
The decision to begin with flagship devices is largely tied to GrapheneOS’s strict hardware security requirements. The project says the latest flagship Snapdragon platforms currently provide Qualcomm’s best security features, while lower-end hardware still falls short in several areas.
Cheaper Motorola phones could gain GrapheneOS support later, but that will require improvements in both security capabilities and software support. GrapheneOS noted that Motorola would need to provide longer update periods for devices below its flagship range.
This is important because GrapheneOS support depends heavily on the hardware platform and the manufacturer’s willingness to provide long-term firmware and security updates. Unlike many custom Android ROMs, the project maintains strict requirements for the devices it officially supports.
It is also worth clarifying what “GrapheneOS support” means in this case. There is currently no indication that Motorola plans to ship phones with GrapheneOS preinstalled. Instead, the upcoming devices are expected to be designed so that users can officially install and run GrapheneOS on supported Motorola hardware.
Until now, GrapheneOS has primarily been associated with Google Pixel devices, which meet the project’s hardware security requirements and provide the necessary platform support. Adding Motorola will therefore represent a significant expansion beyond Google’s own smartphone lineup.
No specific Motorola models have been announced yet, so any guesses about which 2027 flagships will be supported remain speculation for now.