Great info, so from everything I’ve found so far it seems like Pixel + Graphene OS + Helium is the way to go?
You need a Google Pixel.
The best choice now is one of the Pixel 8s...there are some security features in those that are new (i.e. not in the 7 series) that Graphene is leveraging, and you'll get the longest support.
Having said that, it's (of course) the most expensive.
I usually go one generation older (so the Pixel 7a is a great choice and is probably your best price point right now..
You may want to wait until the 13th--looks like Google has a product launch scheduled--and once the Pixel 9 comes out, the prices of older phones will drop. And of course Black Friday is also a great time to buy.
BE SURE TO GET ONE ONLY FROM GOOGLE - YOU CANNOT USE ONE THAT IS CARRIER LOCKED (i.e. buying from Verizon or T-Mobile will NOT work)
Check out this page for more info:
https://grapheneos.org/faq#supported-devices
Happy to answer any quesitons!
Discussion
Not familiar with Helium, but a big fan of Graphene (and yes, you need a Pixel). 😃
Great OS, very easy to install...happy to help with any questions if you'd like.