GrapheneOS, a privacy-centric Android fork, has announced a significant partnership with a major Android smartphone manufacturer to expand its availability on future Snapdragon-powered flagship phones, marking a departure from its exclusive support of Google Pixel devices.
Until now, GrapheneOS was only available for installation on Google’s Pixel phone lineup, making Pixel devices a popular choice among individuals prioritizing privacy, including journalists and security-conscious users. The exclusivity also drew attention from unlikely groups, as a Spanish police report earlier this year noted its use by organized crime groups in Catalonia. The project now indicates that this long-standing exclusivity with Pixel phones may conclude by 2026 or 2027.
The decision to expand beyond the Pixel ecosystem follows public criticism from the GrapheneOS project regarding Google’s security patch timelines. The GrapheneOS team argued that Google’s update schedule can leave security vulnerabilities exposed for extended periods. By working directly with a different hardware manufacturer, GrapheneOS aims to gain earlier access to security patches, allowing it to maintain its security standards independently of Google’s release cycles.
GrapheneOS clarified in a Reddit thread that it has been collaborating with an unnamed “major Android OEM” since June 2025, with the goal of enabling official support for “future versions of their existing models.” A key technical detail is that these new devices will be powered by flagship Snapdragon processors, representing a notable departure from the Google Tensor chips used in modern Pixel phones.
GrapheneOS explained that its strict requirements for security and updates were previously only met by Google’s Pixel phones. The new partnership implies that another original equipment manufacturer (OEM) is now capable of matching those same standards. According to the announcement, the forthcoming devices from this new partner will be “priced similarly to Pixels” and will be offered globally as part of the manufacturer’s standard product lineup, not as a niche or special edition release.
For current GrapheneOS users on Pixel devices, the project confirmed that support will continue for all existing devices until they reach their official end-of-life. Looking ahead, GrapheneOS will provide support for the upcoming Pixel 10. However, the project stated that it is still considering whether it will add support for the subsequent Pixel 11 model.
The identity of the new hardware partner has not been disclosed, sparking online speculation that has pointed toward the company Nothing, largely because it is one of the few OEMs that allows users to unlock the bootloader on its devices. An unlockable bootloader is a technical prerequisite for installing a third-party operating system like GrapheneOS. The report notes, however, that Nothing does not currently qualify as a “major Android OEM.”
