That's simply not true. You can install either Linux or Windows on your Desktop, but when you buy a phone you basically stuck with the OS. (You can flash LineageOS but it'll still be android)

I’m not sure you can compare apple to Google either. One gives away their os for free and make their money from user data,

Not sure it's true either, I heard that companies have to pay for Google for putting Google services on their smartphone lines. I might edit to add a source later.

As any user can install an app that “takes over your internets” without rooting there’s only trust keeping other apps from doing the same.

But when it's open source and reviewed, while being backed up by bodies like mozzila (looking at you rethinkDNS), it's way better than your other options. Also, if you don't trust and app just don't use it? Web versions are good enough for most cases. And there you have Mull (hardened ff for android) with uBO to protect you.

[–] Oisteink@feddit.nl 1 points 1 year ago

This is pointless - I don’t agree to the view that iOS and Android are equal - anymore than windows and Linux are equal.

The same goes for the companies behind - one sell devices the other sell ads through their free services.

The customisation you speak about is the same like what browser-bars introduced on pc’s ages ago. Some users have a good working one, but non technical people can end up being tricked in adding one without understanding. That is why it has a cost - nobody can easily swap out the dialer on iOS to listen in. On Android it’s standard functionality