As usual if you're looking to have any security (Verified boot) GrapheneOS + Pixel phone is the only options. I really don't get it how come people in places like this are okay with having a phone with all their personal data and logins without verified boot. Stolen / lost phone and game over.
Getting a Pixel just to have Graphene is not always an option. At least not a sensible one that factors in everything that's important when buying something.
My current phone still runs perfectly fine, so getting a new one feels like a massive waste, too.
Only 2 problems I have with Graphene personally is the need to give Google money, which the irony is just too much, and no option for rooting. Otherwise it seems like a pretty good OS overall. In the meantime, while I wait for those options to be more flexible so I can have full control, I just use a rooted lineage os with all the extra Google stuff (ntp, DNS, etc) stripped and replaced with my own self hosted systems.
@Mikelius@Imprint9816 what do you need root for? it makes absolutely no sense to root GrapheneOS and they won't ever make that option available. It's a huge security risk and massively increases attack surface. If you want root so badly, stay with lineage. Giving Google money for a product they make isn't any different from buying a Samsung or Apple phone really.
I've heard and seen folks say rooting Android is a huge security risk and adds an attack surface, but haven't seen anything to support the claims, really. Yes it's less secure for the average person, who doesn't know anything about security, to root an Android, but to say it's completely insecure without any supporting explanation (not you in particular, just in general when this is said) doesn't help. I like to imagine it like installing Linux and being told to trust the distribution you installed, but they disabled root and removed sudo because it's insecure.
The reason I root is actually for both security and privacy. Without it, I can't use custom firewall rules to restrict apps and system processes from reaching out to the internet or local network devices (AFWall+), have a local hosts setup (Adaway), run a VPN to my home network (Wireguard), and monitor all app network process calls (PCAPdroid) at the exact same time. It also prevents me from being able to create custom cron jobs and custom system changes I need that have only root access.
Being that I am also home 95% of the time with my phone on my person at all times, physical attack surface is less concerning for me, too.
With that all being said, the (assumed) excuse that "malware" is the security risk with root makes no sense to me because whether or not I have root access, phone malware probably doesn't need it in most cases since they're exploiting non-root things so that they can target the majority, not minority. Not to mention I rarely ever even install apps on the phone and most of my web surfing is done on my laptop, not my phone.
I guess there's actually nothing stopping you from rooting: you say "nope" when they ask you to confirm re-locking the bootloader, and then do the usual shenanigans with patching and flashing boot partition.
However, it makes graphene a whole lot less grapheny since you can't re-lock the bootloader anymore (except if you sign modified stuff yourself and let vb know of your key, which sounds like too much of a hustle), which means you don't really need a pixel and graphene except for a few unique features mb.
DivestOS absolutely slaps. Well, all things considered
Edit:
It's absolutely fantastic for what it is, and that is fact. Maintained by a single person, well documented, and doesn't promise more than it can deliver.
I've been using it for almost two years now, and I like it a lot. (small disclaimer, I'm running it on a OnePlus 5T, which is one of their so-called golden devices that it runs best on)
It's pretty much the next best thing after Graphene, if you don't want to buy a Pixel.
The guy who maintains it does an excellent job of documenting issues, what works on what device, what the system itself can and can't do, it's very transparent.
He doesn't overpromise either, and explicitely states that getting a Pixel with Graphene is the better option overall. Greatly appreciate the honesty.
I'll use it for as long as he'll support my device, and then we'll see if I switch to Graphene.
One important thing though:
While you can install microG, DivestOS doesn't officially support it, and while most things work, some don't. SafetyNet, for instance.
Why is Graphene listed as Google play incompatible? They have far and away the best implementation of google play services if the user chooses to install them.
I think you read the column that says Google Pay compatible. It's talking about the tap to pay feature you can use with your credit card at merchants, rather than the play store.
Honestly, the tap to pay feature is what's keeping my from using one of the more privacy oriented ROMs or root. It's just too convenient.