Motorola GrapheneOS devices will be bootloader unlockable/relockable

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

Partnership & Device Support

  • Motorola and GrapheneOS announced collaboration on future devices with unlockable/relockable bootloaders and official GrapheneOS support.
  • Current Motorola phones reportedly do not meet GrapheneOS hardware/security requirements (e.g., memory tagging, secure element, IOMMU), so support is expected only for future models, likely around 2027.
  • Hints suggest initial support for future flagships, especially Razr foldables and a “signature” line; midrange support is considered unlikely in the near term.
  • Some commenters view the announcement as early “hype” with little visible work yet.

Motivations & Market Impact

  • Many see this as a major win: alternative to Pixels, especially in regions where Pixels are expensive or unavailable, and where Motorola has strong retail presence.
  • Discussion frames this as a strategic move for Motorola to differentiate, regain Android share, appeal to privacy‑conscious consumers, and target B2B/government/journalist use cases.
  • Others emphasize potential for wider custom ROM ecosystem (Lineage, Sailfish, Linux‑based OSes) if bootloaders stay open.

Security Model & Trade‑offs

  • GrapheneOS stance: strict hardware and long‑term update requirements; no interest in supporting weaker devices, even via community patches, to avoid diluting security and stretching resources.
  • Uses binary blobs compiled by the project itself; Android source code embargoes are mitigated partly by OEM partners’ earlier access.
  • Strong opposition to persistent app‑accessible root: argued to undermine verified boot and hardware attestation and to harm security even if unused. Some users strongly want “owned” devices with root, seeing this as a philosophical deal‑breaker.
  • Sandboxed Google Play and “scopes” (for contacts, storage, etc.) are key features; per‑app location, camera, and microphone scopes are planned.
  • Many banking apps reportedly work; Google Wallet/tap‑to‑pay does not, though third‑party options exist. Concern that future attestation policies could break more apps.

Trust, Geopolitics & Baseband Concerns

  • Debate over whether Motorola’s ownership (Lenovo/China) or historical ties of Motorola Solutions (separate company) to militaries/intelligence should affect trust.
  • Some argue verified boot with custom keys mitigates OEM trust; others stress that closed basebands, SIM toolkit features, and potential SoC backdoors mean smartphones can never be fully trustworthy, especially against state‑level actors.
  • References to Pegasus and post‑Snowden surveillance are used to argue both that “nobody cares about you” is naive and that defense‑in‑depth still raises attack costs.

Form Factor, Features & UX Wishes

  • Repeated calls for: smaller devices, headphone jacks, microSD, removable batteries, and even hardware kill switches; skepticism that market demand is large enough for OEMs.
  • Enthusiasts also want good cameras, gaming‑capable Snapdragon hardware, desktop modes, and physical keyboards; some hope for future tablets or laptop‑style docks.
  • Complaints about existing Motorola adware/bloatware and hope that GrapheneOS devices will be clean.