I can say Apple's model is not better for me and that's why I use Android. If Android didn't let me basically control my own phone, I would switch to a libre phone even if it was shit.

You can have different choices - one that's closed and one that's open -- both have advantages and disadvantages. I like the android ecosystem but I understand the apple one too. I can choose which one I'd like to be in.

Apple’s model is better for Apple users; Android’s model is better for Android users. That’s, presumably, (part of) the reason they use what they use.

It's the same crowd that keeps telling us that we shouldn't want root on our phones. It's better that some corporation somewhere has root to your phone, but not you.

I don't know, I'm still applying ointment from when Google decided nobody using Android 9 could ever need an app to scan for wifi more often than once every thirty seconds. Not like they operate their own fleet of wardriving vehicles that continuously scan and map access points.

Isn't this an option in the developer settings?

The option to turn rate limiting off was added in Android 10.

The problem is they're fixing one thing and breaking another. While Android 10 might have sort of "fixed" the Wifi scanning issue, it started enforcing the half-baked Scoped Storage implementation, which creates its own share of problems.

I think things have become a bit more saner with Android 11 in that regard (though there might still be some pain points left), but instead the next random thing Google has broken is that you can no longer replace the default camera app - unless whatever random app you might be using specifically whitelists your favourite third-party camera app, you can no longer use it other than in standalone mode (i.e. if I understood things correctly, the same hare-brained situation you were in until very recently on iOS with regards to the default browser or other default apps).

For God's sake just split android into Home and Pro editions already. Feels like every year they have a lower and lower opinion of their users.

So, you are replaying to somebody concerned that Android may become like iOS on the future by claiming that the concern means iOS is better?

Actually yes, the only apps I sideload on Android are the ones I develop.

It's a good thing as long as there is a viable alternative to it.

Well, most of the tech media and people commenting on this site are "those guys" who always publicly and loudly criticize Android for being different from iOS. Repeatedly.