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It's worth discussing at least. I used to be a big fan of flashing custom software, kernels, recoveries, etc.
At some point though, it started becoming more and more of a hassle to get a phone with an unlockable bootloader to work with my mobile network operator. Limited choices of I even had one.
Then all the banking and p2p apps stopped being easy to use while rooted, so we had to hide root from those apps. Then that got harder and harder.
Meanwhile the custom features that I used to want became mostly standard within Android.
At this point, I don't really bother with rooting anymore because there's little that I need it for but lots of hassle involved in having it. Now Google is blocking RCS messages from being delivered to rooted phones.
So if Android is now basically iOS with how much it's locked down from modification, why not just get an iPhone with better features I care about (their cameras and photo software) and better long-term updates? What is it that Google is even aiming for with Android now? If they're going to be hostile to users owning their own hardware, then maybe the OS should see more than a single line item change for a major version (android 14). I don't feel like Google has made any meaningful additions to the OS in a decade+ now.
This is more or less how I feel. I haven't rooted in years, though I have installed non-root ROMs to extend support.
Google's SafetyNet stuff is simply unreasonable, and a shameless power-grab. I'm so tired of software and websites trying to control what I do with my own goddamn hardware and software "for my safety".
It's gotten to the point where the "security" features actively hamper my security, because they leave me unable to improve it. e.g. my banking app would rather I be on an unsecured wireless network than have me use a reputable VPN. Their web site would rather have me expose myself to malvertising than run an ad blocker. They'd rather have me running an outdated OS with heaps of known security vulnerabilities than run a fully patched LineageOS. They'd rather I use my carrier's unsecured DNS than DOH. And heaven forbid I block trackers!
Nevertheless, I stick with Android because there are still lots of things I value that I still can't do on an iPhone. No, I don't download torrents on my phone very often, but I've needed to in the past and will likely need to again at some point, so I'm not going to buy a phone that doesn't let me install benign apps just because I might use them to download things they don't want me to download.
The whole industry is user-hostile, but Android is still less hostile than iOS.
I wish Microsoft had stayed in the mobile space. That competition might have changed things for the better.
Now we have a duopoly.
@APassenger @GenderNeutralBro I was interested in the mobile Windows 8 back in the day. So I found and bought a used cheap Nokia phone to check it out. I ended up using it as my primary for a few months. The Nokia and Windows were both fantastic! I didn't stay with it because there were no apps. The Windows store was a stinking infested cesspool of awful and/or malicious apps so I resold it.