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The privacy-focused smartphone sector is heating up fast, and GrapheneOS is right in the middle of a very public dispute with an unnamed competitor. Known widely for its robust security and privacy features, GrapheneOS recently called out a “small company” for spreading misinformation and libel following a failed attempt at partnership. According to GrapheneOS, this rival approached them seeking collaboration but was rejected because they didn’t meet the stringent security standards required. Since November 12, this company has been attacking GrapheneOS publicly, trying to undermine its reputation while launching a rival device.
GrapheneOS didn’t hold back in their statement, hinting at who this rival might be by pointing out key details. They mentioned that the rival's device runs a fork of LineageOS, lacking the standard privacy and security patches that GrapheneOS offers. This move was described as desperate, especially since the rival’s launch was accompanied by aggressive, inaccurate claims targeting GrapheneOS. The GrapheneOS team implied that companies pushing phones as private without basic security patches are feeling threatened by their growing presence in the market.
Meanwhile, GrapheneOS is focusing on their own priorities, including shipping the Android 16 QPR1 port and developing a major OEM partnership aimed at ending their current exclusivity with Google Pixel devices. This ongoing search for a serious partner is likely putting pressure on smaller players in the privacy smartphone arena, sparking this rivalry.
Two main suspects have emerged based on the clues GrapheneOS provided. The first is Fairphone, which GrapheneOS explicitly rejected recently for not meeting security requirements, especially around Android updates and hardware security features. Fairphone’s latest model, the Fairphone 6, runs on /e/OS, a known fork of LineageOS, matching one of the hints given. However, /e/OS is considered less secure compared to GrapheneOS’s hardened OS.
The second and more probable suspect group includes Murena, HIROH, and the /e/OS ecosystem. Devices like the Murena SHIFTphone 8 and HIROH Phone Powered by Murena run /e/OS and have been part of recent launches that seem to line up with the accusations. Notably, the CEO of Avarana, Victor Cocchia, publicly emphasized hardware kill switches as the ultimate privacy solution, dismissing software-based protections — a stance that clashes with GrapheneOS’s focus on software security. The launch communication from this camp also included veiled criticisms of GrapheneOS’s rigorous security-first approach.
Given the company is described as "small," uses a LineageOS fork, and the timing and tone of their launch fits the pattern of direct attacks, the HIROH/Murena camp appears to be the likely target of GrapheneOS’s accusations. Regardless of the actual identity, this feud reflects how competitive and high-stakes the privacy smartphone market has become. Users can expect GrapheneOS to continue defending their position strongly and offer a detailed rebuttal after their Android 16 QPR1 update rolls out.
This clash also highlights the tensions between different philosophies in the privacy community: hardware-based controls versus software-enforced security, as well as the challenges faced by smaller companies trying to break into a space dominated by trusted projects like GrapheneOS.
