Well, its not just the money, its the fact that it is a Google product. Many of us, outside the USA don’t trust anything that Google produces, including Android itself (which is why degoogled phones are a thing) nor do we want to fuel the techno fascists running the company.
If it was actively doing something it shouldnt, they’d notice.
You could argue there could be something hidden in the firmware for use by the state when they REALLY REALLY REALLY want to get into something, and are willing to blow a good backdoor on it. But that’s also something you deal with on any modern PC, unless you wanna party like its 2011 and run an old FX-Series AMD chip, or a librebooted machine with ME Cleaner. (See Intel ME/AMD PSP)
The pixel is still a product of Google that Google benefits from when you purchase it. Some if us want to avoid contributing to their power as much as we can. Not purchasing a Pixel one of those choices.
Android needs to be replaced as well. I still hold hope for mobile Linux.
I just bought a pixel 10a open box for like $350.
Like I get some people are stuck on Walmart specials, but how cheap does it need to be before its not considered a purchase for the privileged by you?
Well, its not just the money, its the fact that it is a Google product. Many of us, outside the USA don’t trust anything that Google produces, including Android itself (which is why degoogled phones are a thing) nor do we want to fuel the techno fascists running the company.
Grapheme runs tests on googles firmware regularly.
If it was actively doing something it shouldnt, they’d notice.
You could argue there could be something hidden in the firmware for use by the state when they REALLY REALLY REALLY want to get into something, and are willing to blow a good backdoor on it. But that’s also something you deal with on any modern PC, unless you wanna party like its 2011 and run an old FX-Series AMD chip, or a librebooted machine with ME Cleaner. (See Intel ME/AMD PSP)
The pixel is still a product of Google that Google benefits from when you purchase it. Some if us want to avoid contributing to their power as much as we can. Not purchasing a Pixel one of those choices.
Android needs to be replaced as well. I still hold hope for mobile Linux.
Google doesn’t own the PC market.