I am also part of this statistic. I feel like android dumbed down the google assistant. Sometimes I am no longer sure what app is called on hey google. In comparison to Bixby, the tech became worse.
I would have switched to SE if my wife did not get me a pro for my birthday (to communicate in iMessage). And now I am on this boring phone no longer passionate about phones anymore.
> And now I am on this boring phone no longer passionate about phones anymore.
Oh man, I could not relate more to this. With how hard it has become to run rooted, for the first time in well over a decade I'm running stock Android with no root. It used to be so exciting! A computer in my pocket! But more and more Apple's (awful IMHO) vision of the phone as an "appliance" rather than a general purpose computer is becoming true, and it's depressing. I don't even really care about specs anymore, cause I can't do much with that horsepower anyway.
I haven't gotten to the point of giving Apple any money yet, and probably won't as the Pixel A is affordable and does everything I need, but I miss the good old days so much. I've been hearing people say I should try GrapheneOS, maybe it's time to finally try it.
Graphene on a pixel is great. It's easy to install, with an online, real time(live) install and load.(Do not adb, a computer, USB drive, etc etc.)
It does add a bit of 'let's install a MacOS on an Alienware' feel to computing without the pain. Then f droid and infinite other sources for apps.
I would have switched to SE if my wife did not get me a pro for my birthday (to communicate in iMessage). And now I am on this boring phone no longer passionate about phones anymore.