What I love about GrapheneOS is that it gives people a choice. It starts out slim, without any Google services. You have the choice to use them if you need them, and you can use them in the same way and with the same sandbox as you would any other app. But the most important thing is choice and options.
You can even use Sandboxed Google Play in a specific user profile, instead of options like MicroG where it has to be privileged for a lot of its features/functionality to function, and where it's ever-present in all of your profiles.
Furthermore, since we're talking about Google apps and services, I find the fact that CalyxOS ships with the privileged eSIM activation Google app which is enabled by default and to my understanding cannot be disabled very concerning...
On the other hand, (again) GrapheneOS has it disabled by default and you're given the choice to use it if you need it, instead of having it forced on you by default.
After looking at all options for alternative Android OSes, not matter which way you slice it, GrapheneOS takes the cake, so I don't really understand how someone who has actually looked at both options can call it "terrible".
You can even use Sandboxed Google Play in a specific user profile, instead of options like MicroG where it has to be privileged for a lot of its features/functionality to function, and where it's ever-present in all of your profiles.
Furthermore, since we're talking about Google apps and services, I find the fact that CalyxOS ships with the privileged eSIM activation Google app which is enabled by default and to my understanding cannot be disabled very concerning...
https://blog.privacyguides.org/2022/04/21/grapheneos-or-caly...
On the other hand, (again) GrapheneOS has it disabled by default and you're given the choice to use it if you need it, instead of having it forced on you by default.
After looking at all options for alternative Android OSes, not matter which way you slice it, GrapheneOS takes the cake, so I don't really understand how someone who has actually looked at both options can call it "terrible".