All of this is true, but if people keep buying devices with their firmware locked and that aren't being kept up to date, then nothing will ever change, unless government regulations are introduced and that can create other problems.

I've had very positive experiences with my Nexus devices, though not all models are the same. Acquaintances have had good experiences with other, more open models, like OnePlus One. Yet I'm seeing even software developers buy phones that are tightly locked and that aren't being kept up to date properly, software developers who should have known better by the nature of their work. And then they bitch and moan about it.

This notion of buying things based on ethical and health-related considerations has become more prevalent in recent years in other markets (e.g. food, clothes), yet in the software industry after the great run we've had in early 2000 in regards to open standards and open-source, it seems that we are going back, willingly giving up one freedom after another.

But and I think this is important - I rather prefer the current ecosystem of fragmented Android phones, because the very essence of open-source is the right to fork. And if anything, Android is not fork-able enough due to Play and the Play Services. If you want a tightly controlled OS on a tightly controlled device, iPhone/iOS is that way. And I own both, I'm glad that both options exist and I hope Firefox OS will become a good alternative as well.