Motorola GrapheneOS Phones to Launch in 2027, Priced Higher Than Pixels

Motorola and GrapheneOS, after a previous vague announcement, have finally shed light on their collaboration, revealing a 2027 launch for privacy-centric smartphones. The GrapheneOS team, via Mastodon, confirmed that these upcoming Motorola devices will be premium flagship models, designed to meet the OS's strict hardware requirements for security and privacy. While not pre-installed with GrapheneOS, they will receive full support from both the GrapheneOS project and Motorola. GrapheneOS, an Android-based operating system, is renowned for its robust security features, including enhanced memory protection, granular network permissions, customizable app sandboxing, and a unique duress code capable of wiping the phone's data – a feature recently highlighted when an activist used it during a customs interrogation. A significant detail is the expected price point. The GrapheneOS team anticipates these Motorola phones will be even more expensive than Google's Pixel lineup. For context, the base model Pixel 11 now starts at $900, with the Pixel 11 Pro XL reaching $1,300, indicating a substantial investment for privacy-conscious consumers. This partnership marks a notable expansion for GrapheneOS, which has historically only supported Google Pixel phones due to their specific hardware capabilities. The move into Motorola's device ecosystem signifies a broader push for secure, privacy-focused mobile computing.