GrapheneOS: Pixel 11 drops hardware memory tagging, a security cut to save money
GrapheneOS project: pixel 11 no longer supports hardware memory tagging (MTE)
After a week of work, GrapheneOS has a partial port to the Pixel 11 series but cannot finish it because ARM hardware memory tagging (MTE) is unsupported in software, firmware, and likely hardware. The project says Google cut this important security feature to save costs.
It appears Google cut an important security feature to save money.
- Pfhortune
Feeling like my Pixel 9 Pro was the best timed hardware buy I've made in recent years.
The 10 dropped the physical SIM slot and Google started with their device tree shenanigans that year, with little to no improvements in exchange.
I've got 16GB of RAM and 512GB in an ecosystem that shows every sign of regressing in capacities due to component price inflation.
Very interested to see what Motorola does next year, however.
- newsomix9xl
"Pixel 11 series is a lot more expensive for an incremental improvement to the CPU, the same underpowered GPU and reduced RAM for the Pro base models. They finally caught up to the last generation of Qualcomm cellular radio. It's overpriced, the upgrades aren't impressive and losing MTE is appalling."
I guess that's a thumbs down then?
- perarneng
What, MTE is such a promising tech and for security and now that we need all security we can get. WTF this is terrible development. You cant go backwards when the world needs getting even more secure.
- xizst94
Lost any remaining respect for Pixel with the decisions they've made for Pixel 11. The product design and hardware teams have both tried to one up each other and who can deliver the bigger pile of steaming crap.
- bestouff
They also say that the Pixel 11 is a very very tiny improvement wrt the Pixel 10, with less RAM and more expensive.
So basically they say don't buy it, wait for the Motorola phones.
- neilv
Fediverse link: https://grapheneos.social/@GrapheneOS/117179231167297908
- ysnp
Can someone from AOSP/Pixel hardware security shed some light? This is strange timing, especially when the approach has been validated by Apple also.
- CircuitSeuss
I have a pipe dream that Apple will pull a 180 and offer support for GrapheneOS.