It's not. The change is definitively for the worse but still a far cry from Apple where you cannot just download an app off the internet and install it which you can even on Android 15, the permission management is just worse in such a case.
Also, surely community ROMs will probably change this.
why tf I shouldnāt get an iPhone itself?
Why TF would it be a benefit over Android? Still worse compatibility, still more expensive, still no innovation.
I donāt understand why you are being downvoted. that is simply the truth.
I have been using an iphone 12 pro for the past 3 weeks ,while my pixel 6 is getting its battery replaced and itās been painful.
iām missing a lot of apps, the ones I do find are limited or asking for monthly subscriptions.
i am unable to play a downloaded mp3 unless i go through hoops&hurdles .
i am no longer able to watch a youtube video without ads (unless I do 3 steps of passing them to adguard), or using sponsorblock ( i am on ios 18.2, otherwise I would have jail broken it to oblivion).
android is simpy better in terms of freedom. IF or when itāll become a locked garden like ios, itāll truly be a sad day for the mobile world.
Android has been getting worse and worse every iteration. Are you asking me to wait until it is an identical clone of iOS?
Also, surely community ROMs will probably change this.
I don't have time or desire to fiddle with it, just like mods for Bethesda games. It should not be acceptable to shrug at enshittification and hope some volunteers fix it.