I'm seriously considering going iPhone for the first time, I've been an Android user since I could get my hands on an Android phone on Sprint for the first time (2009? I think...) and lived through the crappiness of early Android. I prefer Android cause I can root it, but I never do, feel like it will break something I want if I use a "ROM" (why they're not called DISTROS is beyond me) but also last time I tried to install a ROM I screwed up my phone so bad I had to factory reset the hard way through a tutorial, I basically bricked it.
With iOS I only get iOS or jailbroken iOS. Not really satisfying, but Google made an open source kernel into a proprietary mess of literal spyware.
You know, I switched to an iPhone exactly for this purpose years back. Got an iPhone 6s and used it for years.
It was definitely not easy giving up the convenience of integrations you got with Google, the small things. In the end apple maps suck compared to Google and if you want to look for a restaurant well would you rather give your info to Yelp/foursquare than Google? So Google maps it is.
After a bit you get used to it, apple does scratch your privacy itch by showing things like when an app is using your location.
Then after three years I had to upgrade, I was like that was grest, but fuck me if I have to shell out 10 Benjamins for a fucking phone when I can get an as good phone (everything except privacy) for half that price. I just purchased a Galaxy S9 and finally remembered how much I used to like Android.
Moral of the story is, if you're anything like me, you'll eventually be like fuck it Google take my data give me a cheap good phone.
>but fuck me if I have to shell out 10 Benjamins for a fucking phone
You don't have to. iPhone 8 and even 7 works well even today and unlike most Android OEMs including Google, you will get updates for at least 4 years easily. You been a 6s user, you already know that.
With iOS I only get iOS or jailbroken iOS. Not really satisfying, but Google made an open source kernel into a proprietary mess of literal spyware.