You are correct.

> The hardware for this prototype is the Google Nexus 6P. While we would prefer to support lower end models for low income demographics, only the Nexus and Pixel lines support Verified Boot with user-controlled keys. We are not aware of any other models that allow this, but we would love to hear if there are any that do.

I'm hoping that as the Pixel line turns into more of a real business for Google, they will actually start making phones that cost half as much or even 1/4 as much as the current Pixel devices. Google raised the (pricing) entry bar for secure Android devices to the level of iPhones, and that leaves most people without any real options for secure phones especially when most Chinese phones seem to come with backdoors by default.

I also think Google needs to increase OS update time to at least 3 years, and security updates to 4 or 5 years. The entire life cycle of a device should be taken into account when support is considered for devices. And no, two years is not the lifetime of a smartphone. That's a lie, mostly pushed by carriers (and of course manufacturers). A smartphone can easily last 4+ years, and it doesn't have to have the same owner during this period.