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.
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of processor/ram/screen specs are plateauing so open source hardware/software is becoming feasible without completely outdated hardware.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.
