Motorola & GrapheneOS: Premium Privacy Phones Due 2027

Motorola is poised to launch a new line of premium flagship smartphones in 2027, featuring support for the privacy-focused GrapheneOS. This collaboration, announced several months ago, will bring GrapheneOS compatibility to devices beyond Google's Pixel phones for the first time. While the phones won't ship with GrapheneOS pre-installed, both Motorola and the GrapheneOS team will ensure full support.

The upcoming Motorola devices are expected to be high-end, with their pricing projected to be even higher than current Google Pixel models. For instance, the Pixel 11 starts at $900, with the Pixel 11 Pro XL reaching $1,300. This suggests the new Moto phones could cost well over a thousand dollars.

This premium positioning is partly due to the requirement for advanced security features, which are typically found in high-end chipsets like Qualcomm's 8-series processors. Motorola's budget Moto G line, which uses less secure chips and offers limited software support, is not considered a viable option for GrapheneOS.

While there's a possibility for cheaper Moto phones to gain GrapheneOS support in the future, it depends on Motorola committing to longer update cycles and potentially higher costs for enhanced chip capabilities. Currently, Motorola offers only a couple of years of update support for its budget phones, which is insufficient for GrapheneOS requirements.