> As you are well aware, the market is not very competitive and there aren't dozens of vendors to pick from.

Where I come from a dozen means 12. Even just LineageOS has support for phones from 30 different vendors.

https://wiki.lineageos.org/devices/

And LineageOS is far from the only way to start taking ownership of a device. And let's be real here: Pretty much anything will beat Apple on that particular spectrum.

LineageOS is not enough to replace IOS or 'Google Android' completely, these days. Without google services you won't be able to use many banking or booking apps.

Many people are not prepared to take this convenience hit: when you switch, you empirically lose some of the functionality, while the privacy advantage is 'intangible' until you personally become a victim of the lack of it (which is absolutely worth avoiding, even if still very rare)

There are plenty of phones. Even Linux-like or totally different (like Sailfish). It just seem that you are not ready to make compromises.

I am well aware that other phones exist. But I used the word 'market' for a reason, because defining the market[1] is the first step in any analysis under competition law.

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Relevant_market

Some people have bought into the whole Apple ecosystem. Hard to extract yourself, and getting a usable phone like a OnePlus gets you thinking about foreign extraction of your data, bitter pill to swallow. Now it’s clear that all phones will suck, and always suck more in a future rev.

I use some Apple devices but not the ecosystem for exactly the reason of switching.

I've been a long time Apple user. Prior to my latest work laptop I've only gotten MBPs. However given the ever increasing pain in getting around the macOS security to do basic dev work (eg getting real gdb not ldb working), I've gone back to a Linux laptop.

Given this 'CSAM-scanning-next-up-political-dissent!' stuff from Apple I'll be taking a much more serious look at PinePhone/PurismPhone, etc. The rate of processor/ram/screen specs are plateauing so open source hardware/software is becoming feasible without completely outdated hardware.

I just picked up a Pixel 3a for like 90$ on eBay and flashed CalyxOS on it in about 10 min. Really easy to get started and I’m impressed with the functionality and polish of this open-source mobile OS.

I have to admit that Apple ecosystem works really well. I have been fighting with different Linux distributions and other devices for years. Even wrote own client for Chromecast. But something like AirPlay 2 just works, with high quality.