Introduction to GrapheneOS
GrapheneOS (written GOS from now on) is an Android based operating system that focuses security. It is only compatible with Google Pixel devices for multiple reasons: availability of hardware security components, long term support (series 8 and 9 are supported at least 7 years after release) and the hardware has a good quality / price ratio.
The goal of GOS is to provide users a lot more control about what their smartphone is doing. A main profile is used by default (the owner profile), but users are encouraged to do all their activities in a separate profile (or multiples profiles). This may remind you about Qubes OS workflow, although it does not translate entirely here. Profiles can not communicate between each others, encryption is done per profile, and some permissions can be assigned per profile (installing apps, running applications in background when a profile is not used, using the SIM...). This is really effective for privacy or security reasons (or both), you can have a different VPN per profile if you want, or use a different Google Play login, different applications sets, whatever! The best feature here in my opinion is the ability to completely stop a profile so you are sure it does not run anything in the background once you exit it.
Solene Rapenne
I switched to GrapheneOS on my Pixel 8 Pro as part of my process to cleanse myself of as much Big Tech as possible, and I've been incredibly happy with it. The additional security and privacy control GrapheneOS brings is amazing, and the fact it opted for a sandboxed Google Play Services basically means there's no compatibility issues, unlike when using microG, where compatibility problems are a fact of life. GrapheneOS' security and other updates are on par or even faster than the stock Google Pixel's Android, and the overall user experience is virtually identical to stock Android.
The only downside is the reliance on Pixel devices - it's an understandable choice, but does mean giving money to Google if you don't already own a Pixel. A workaround, if you will, is to buy a used or refurbished Pixel, but that may not always be an option either. For me personally, I'll be sticking with my Pixel 8 Pro for a long time, but if it were to break, I'd most likely go the used Pixel route to avoid enriching Google. For pretty much anyone reading OSNews, GrapheneOS would be a great choice, and if you already have a Pixel, I strongly urge you consider switching.