Recently got a pixel as a secondary work phone and was reminded that I actually kinda like android (my main is an iPhone). Problem is mostly that I don’t want an even higher level spyware device. Of course I could use graphene but I use Apple Pay, find my / AirTags regularly and I also would need to find good alternatives to iCloud, and photos which I honestly kind of like. I suppose I could possibly get a pixel watch and get around the pay limitations but maybe some users who have switches might have some general insight.

Edit: I guess my best option right now is to stick with my current plan of both devices and maybe see what oem graphene partners with and if that somehow changes anything

  • utopiah@lemmy.ml
    2·
    3 hours ago

    My recommendation is to keep both separate. Your work phone should NEVER be your personal phone.

    Use you work phone at work or on a mission. Not outside, not at home, it does not matter what your contract says, what the law says is what’s important (so check locally, depends on jurisdictions).

    Now IMHO both options such. Apple is closed source and Android provided by work is not customizable so you have no control over. If you want a more radically approach and are serious about privacy, reconsider both.

  • Scott@lem.free.asEnglish
    31·
    5 hours ago

    For what it’s worth, I run GrapheneOS and can use my phone to pay for stuff via NFC just like any other phone user. I’ve used it in various countries and it Just Works™.

    To achieve this you just need to find a payment app that works.

    In my country, I use Curve.

  • rcbrk@lemmy.mlEnglish
    41·
    9 hours ago

    I don’t want an even higher level spyware device.

    but I use […] AirTags regularly

    Hmm…

    Alfred is disappointed.

    wide shot of alfred looking at the bank of hijacked mobile phone echolocation surveillance monitors

    It might be time to move on from the mass-surveillance-on-every-single-device style of object location tracking.
    Are there localising/tracking bluetooth tags available which only connect to your network/devices?

      • rcbrk@lemmy.mlEnglish
        1·
        3 hours ago

        Yeah, it’d be a live monitoring footprint limited to, say, wherever you have/bring a personal device plus maybe wherever there’s a wifi network it knows. But you’d be able to see where the tag was when it last pinged you, so you could return to that location to search for it and get a more accurate location fix.

        The only case my example doesn’t cover is if a third party moves the tag away from your typical footprint and networks.

  • ☂️-@lemmy.ml
    164·
    13 hours ago

    iphones are not more private than androids.

    don’t believe apple marketing at face value.

    • ryannathans@aussie.zone
      1·
      5 hours ago

      Does google say no when the FBI want access to androids or do they have so many holes they don’t need to

      • Jokulhlaups@lemmy.world
        1·
        1 hour ago

        This was a publicity stunt, fbi than paid nso to give them a zero day exploit to bypass the ios password. No software is bug free.

    • galaxy_nova@lemmy.worldOP
      3·
      11 hours ago

      I’m definitely skeptical of anything closed source in general but there isn’t too much on the contrary, so it’s just a matter of one company makes money on data and on doesn’t. I’m sure they both collect similar amounts of data though.

  • Snot Flickerman@lemmy.blahaj.zoneEnglish
    19·
    16 hours ago

    The reality is that security/privacy will always be a balancing act with convenience.

    If you increase your security and privacy, you will lose convenience.

    If you increase your convenience, you will lose security and privacy.

    It’s always a tradeoff.

    It’s up to you what things you’re willing to trade off, in the end. Everyone can give valuable input, but it will always be up to you to make the final decision on what level of tradeoff you’re willing to accept and what level fits your threat model.

    For total security and privacy you would basically have to not use electronics at all and live in a cabin in the woods and have a good grasp of chemistry, scavenging and farming to take care of yourself. I think a guy named Ted did that once and it didn’t work out so great for him, but of course, he also didn’t actually just keep to himself in those woods.

    And to be fair, these days even that’s not a guarantee of total privacy with satellite imagery, drones, etc.

    • TranquilTurbulence@lemmy.zipEnglish
      2·
      4 hours ago

      This is why it’s important to sit down and write a document titled “my threat model, 2026”. OP should figure out what they’re really worried about, how important it is, and what are they willing to sacrifice. Once that’s done, it’s easy to start putting that philosophy into practice.

    • galaxy_nova@lemmy.worldOP
      5·
      15 hours ago

      Yeah you make a good point. I saw an article recently that Apple is considering using ads in Apple Maps so maybe the companies are moving closer together and it doesn’t really matter that much anyway. How would a degoogled stock pixel phone compare to an iPhone do you think?

      • Snot Flickerman@lemmy.blahaj.zoneEnglish
        2·
        12 hours ago

        I think a Degoogled stock Pixel will be far more inconvenient than you want it to be because of the work you would have to put in for simple things like Push Notifications to work without Google services.

      • Lfrith@lemmy.ca
        1·
        11 hours ago

        I didn’t see ads until I got an iPad and it was because I had been rooting before that with adaway on Android. I didn’t know talkings ads existed. Then when it came to buying apps it was hard finding ones that didn’t have subscriptions, and the apps didn’t have a clear label of whethet it had ads or not before installing. Finding foss options was even harder.

        So outside of official apple apps I found the app market trash on Apple with it not letting me know if an app had ads, subscriptions, and no easy F-droid type alternative to seek out for foss apps.

        Might be more “private” than Android but i found Apple a more ad infested experience, and didn’t help that their third browsers are so gutted compared to Android options to make adblocking when browsing the web better.

      • dependencyinjection@discuss.tchncs.de
        3·
        14 hours ago

        I use iPhone and I also tried a Pixel with Graphene OS.

        Like the above commenter said it’s a trade off with convenience and for me it was too hard to do. Nothing wrong with the OS per se, but I just prefer the convenience of iPhone.

        Another point is I’m a middle age software developer so not adverse to learning new things but I’ve got to the point that I want it easier. If I’m doing something I shouldn’t be doing then I’d have a device specific for that.

  • bad_news@lemmy.billiam.net
    1·
    9 hours ago

    I’d argue being between proprietary platforms is keeping your options open, not being in purgatory. I wouldn’t try to synergize privacy with online payments at a tap IRL beyond Apple. Until there’s a like, seamless tap crypto-pay (which will never happen, Visa would NEVER allow its monopoly to break, they pay Apple Google search monopoly money to still go through them) your best bet to be least spied on while paying with a phone is Apple.

  • MalReynolds@piefed.socialEnglish
    1·
    10 hours ago

    I use gOS and my solution for Pay is a Visa in my phone case… As to AirTags there are solutions for finding things locally but nothing with the reach of AirTags if you left something somewhere else due to apple installing it on all their phones. I find analogue solutions will do personally. Find my phone still works. iCloud and photos I replaced with a homeserver with Immich, also pihole there to sort ads, but you can get most of the way there with proton if that’s intimidating.

    • galaxy_nova@lemmy.worldOP
      2·
      14 hours ago

      I guess I’m asking for thoughts on a solution. My options are basically A) Keep iPhone as main, use stock pixel 9 as work no changes. B) Use graphene + watch and somehow try to hack a way into Intune setup properly, lose a little bit of functionality. Probably would return pixel and trade in iPhone for pixel 10 and wait for graphene, since I value the MagSafe. C) Get a different iPhone as a second for or upgrade current phone to use current as old phone. Probably most expensive option if the latter. D) not care at all about having my personal device slightly managed and just put Intune on it.

      • Lfrith@lemmy.ca
        11·
        11 hours ago

        One option to reduce amount of devices you carry is I think an Apple watch, which can work offline after setting up with Apple pay. So you’d keep your iPhone at home and just leave home with Android and an Apple watch for paying with.

  • artyom@piefed.socialEnglish
    31·
    15 hours ago

    I’m confused what you’re asking. You have 2 phones, why not continue using Apple Pay/FindMy on your main device?

    I also would need to find good alternatives to iCloud, and photos

    Proton.

    Worth noting that Google is in the process of killing sideloading so you may as well just stick with Apple at this point. Or get a flip phone.

    • galaxy_nova@lemmy.worldOP
      3·
      15 hours ago

      Sorry perhaps I could have been a bit clearer. One of the devices is going to end up having Intune on it for work, is the somewhat complicating factor. I realize I could make the iPhone my “work” and just but Intune on there but I guess ideally I’d like to have 0 personal related stuff on a phone that has anything to do with work if possible. Perhaps if graphene worked with Intune work profiles I could just do 1 singular device of graphene + watch? But I looked through some threads and didn’t seem like it was super clear cut

  • Jeena@piefed.jeena.netEnglish
    1·
    13 hours ago

    Samsung galaxy smart tags are a thing and Find too, I’m using it on a daily basis.

    I use Syncthing as an alternative to iCloud to sync files between devices. But there is also NextCloud and even commercial offerings like DropBox.

    For Photos I use Immich and it’s amazing.

    And at least here in Korea Samsung Pay works everywhere while my wife with Apple Pay has to carry coach or a credit card with her everywhere she goes.

  • CerebralHawks@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
    31·
    16 hours ago

    I’m in the same boat, sort of. iPhone 16 Pro Max main, Galaxy S10 backup (WiFi only, cosplay prop). New iPhones are just not exciting so I’m thinking I’ll update the Android phone next. I need Apple for Apple Health and I don’t think iPads do Apple Health? So I might keep the iPhone to do Health and to pair with my watch and main Android for a while? It’s not definite but it is a consideration. Their keyboard is way better. Almost zero privacy on official firmware though. I wonder if Samsung is better than Pixel in that regard or if it just adds a head to the hydra. Like, I really like the S24 and S25 — wife has S22 and even that is pretty good. Anyway, this is not a this year or next year problem, this is like 2028-2029 when my iPhone gets to be 4-5 years old.