its a great phone but it tends to overheat quickly, like 5min in the sun quickly.
this blog does not get tired of testing Android ROMS that enhance privacy 🙂 (actually it would be nice, if software support for those devices is at least 10 years X-D because it is a constant tiresome race)
Yes it is a bit of an absurdity, that in order to get most privacy out of an Android phone, the user would have to get an GOOGLE based hardware (?) required (Graphene wants to steer the discourse, LG, Samsung: plz listen and support em! 🙂
support ’em donate https://grapheneos.org/ to keep the updates flowing 🙂 (also ask if hardware donations are wanted)
let’s go: grapheneOS on Pixel 7 Pro
0. get a high quality usb-c cable
1. enable developer mode
- open “settings” -> “About the phone” -> scroll way down and tap on build number several times until “developer mode unlocked” can be seen
- open “settings” -> “system” -> developer mode
- enable USB debugging
- enable OEM unlocking
2. let’s flash (gordon 🙂
this guide is based on https://grapheneos.org/install/cli
hostnamectl; # tested on Operating System: Debian GNU/Linux 12 (bookworm) Kernel: Linux 6.1.0-18-amd64 Architecture: x86-64 Hardware Vendor: Lenovo Hardware Model: ThinkPad T440 # perform all steps as root su - root # manually install newer versions of fastboot and adb mkdir -p /home/user/software/adb cd /home/user/software/adb wget https://dl.google.com/android/repository/platform-tools-latest-linux.zip unzip platform-tools-latest-linux.zip # set links unlink /usr/bin/fastboot unlink /usr/bin/adb ln -sv /home/user/software/adb/platform-tools/fastboot /usr/bin/fastboot ln -sv /home/user/software/adb/platform-tools/adb /usr/bin/adb ln -sv /usr/bin/signify-openbsd /usr/bin/signify # test all up to date versions are accesible signify --version; # has no option to show version, but if it displays anything = it works fastboot --version fastboot version 34.0.5-10900879 Installed as /home/user/software/adb/platform-tools/fastboot adb --version Android Debug Bridge version 1.0.41 Version 34.0.5-10900879 Installed as /home/user/software/adb/platform-tools/adb Running on Linux 6.1.0-18-amd64 (x86_64) # unlock screen of device adb devices List of devices attached 2C171FXXXXXXXX device adb reboot bootloader # device should reboot and in green "locked" fastboot flashing unlock OKAY [ 0.007s] Finished. Total time: 0.007s # device should display red warning: "if you unlock the bootloader, you will be ablt to install cusotm operation system software..." # download suitable firmware https://grapheneos.org/releases # in this case for pixel 7 pro https://grapheneos.org/releases#cheetah-stable signify -Cp factory.pub -x cheetah-factory-2024020500.zip.sig # should output Signature Verified cheetah-factory-2024020500.zip: OK # unpack image # in official grapheneOS howto another BS command tar xvf cheetah-factory-2024020500.zip # correct would be unzip cheetah-factory-2024020500.zip cd cheetah-factory-2024020500/ # then pray to the god of android src # that there will be less errors in this script + firmware ./flash-all.sh # GRAB A COFFEE AND WAIT! # DO NOT TOUCH PC OR SMART PHONE # Wait for the flashing process to complete. # It will automatically handle flashing the firmware # rebooting into the bootloader interface # flashing the core OS # rebooting into the userspace fastboot mode # flashing the rest of the OS # and finally rebooting back into the bootloader interface # Avoid interacting with the device until the flashing script # is finished and the device is back at the bootloader interface. # Then, proceed to locking the bootloader before using the # device as locking wipes the data again: # https://grapheneos.org/install/cli#locking-the-bootloader ...# if the Google logo
# and then # if the GrapheneOS logo shows up
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# DANCE AT LEAST 3 MIN NO MATTER WHO ELSE IS IN THE ROOM X-D # then lock bootloader again fastboot flashing lock OKAY [ 0.228s] Finished. Total time: 0.228s # verify install (checksum will be displayed at the very start of boot) Pixel 7 Pro: bc1c0dd95664604382bb888412026422742eb333071ea0b2d19036217d49182f
sim where?
what case?
if the user is also paranoid about dropping the thing (it is waterproof) get a 360 case: this is actually two cases, one for the front that clips into the one in the back. the touch screen is STILL decently usable 🙂
GrapheneOS review
- so after a few weeks of usage and direct comparison really have to say
- GrapheneOS is SOFTWARE MINIMALISM GENIUS! 🙂
- the user can STILL use the Google Play Store in a SANDBOX mode 😀 and install every possible app
- it nicely asks every time a App wants to access “sensors”
- another super neat imho genius privacy enhancing feature: restrict apps on file access for certain folders (UNSEEEN IN ANY ROM)
- so the camera app is only allowed to read + write DCIM and that’s it GENIUS!
Pixel 7 Pro vs S21 Ultra camera review
S21 Ultra
Pixel 7 Pro
not really sure why the Pixel7Pro shot is so much darker, they are both good images with a lot of detail, imho there are more details on the Pixel7Pro picture though.
S21 Ultra
Pixel 7 Pro
so both are again great images, the Pixel manages to get a bit more colors from the trees, but the S21 Ultra imho managed the clouds better.
Pixel 7 Pro
S21 Ultra
the “small waterfall” image: it is the other way around, the Pixel7Pro got more contrast and great detail out of it. don’t really know why.
landscapes nice, but what about faces?
only can speek for (badly lid) indoor scenes with peoples and faces:
- the S21Ultra managed (at least in one shot) to capture more details and (post processed) more colors into the picture than the Pxel7Pro did.
what about zoom?
OF COURSE the 10x optical zoom (actually the ONLY Samsung phone to have this?) of the S21Ultra is “king”, but the Pixel7Pro actually also manages to massively zoom in distant details, almost as if it was 10x optical zoom.
so in general:
both phones have pretty good camers, where the Pixel7Pro REALLY shines is when taking pictures from moving objects or humans
While the contrast and details of Pixel7Pro cam are pretty good, the S21Ultra actually seems to manage to capture more color-nuances?
cam specs
- here is a side by side comparison of the phones
-
Main Camera Modules 108 MP, f/1.8, 24mm (wide), 1/1.33″, 0.8µm, PDAF, Laser AF, OIS
10 MP, f/4.9, 240mm (periscope telephoto), 1/3.24″, 1.22µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS, 10x optical zoom
10 MP, f/2.4, 72mm (telephoto), 1/3.24″, 1.22µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS, 3x optical zoom
12 MP, f/2.2, 13mm (ultrawide), 1/2.55″, 1.4µm, dual pixel PDAF, Super Steady video50 MP, f/1.9, 25mm (wide), 1/1.31″, 1.2µm, dual pixel PDAF, Laser AF, OIS
48 MP, f/3.5, 120mm (telephoto), 1/2.55″, 0.7µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS, 5x optical zoom
12 MP, f/2.2, 126˚ (ultrawide), 1/2.9″, 1.25µm, AFFeatures LED flash, auto-HDR, panorama Dual-LED flash, Pixel Shift, Auto-HDR, panorama Video 8K@24fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/240fps, 720p@960fps, HDR10+, stereo sound rec., gyro-EIS 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps; gyro-EIS, OIS, 10-bit HDR Selfie Camera Modules 40 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/2.8″, 0.7µm, PDAF 10.8 MP, f/2.2, 21mm (ultrawide), 1/3.1″, 1.22µm Features Dual video call, Auto-HDR Auto-HDR, panorama Video 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30fps 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60fps - Pixel7Pro gsm arena says “50 MP”, but it it’s not?: “There is no way to get a 50MP image out of the Pixel 7 Pro at this time. No one has ever said the Pixel 7 Pro produces 50mp images, it produces pixel binned 12.5MP images from a 50mp sensor. Google refer to it as a “50 MP wide lens” which is baffling given lenses don’t have a resolution” (src)
- BUT it can do PRETTY DECENT night sky photography 🙂
- S21Ultra moonshot cropped but otherwise unedited unmodified hand held moonshot
- Pixel7Pro: metadata that comes with this picture:
- exiftool IMG_20240212_213314_627.jpg
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Color Space Data : RGB
Profile Connection Space : XYZ
Profile Date Time : 2023:03:09 10:57:00
Profile File Signature : acsp
Primary Platform : Unknown ()
CMM Flags : Not Embedded, Independent
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Device Model :
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