It annoys the fuck out of me when someone says that a phone that still doesn't exist and isn't available for purchase is mentioned as an "alternative".
It will become an alternative once it's out. Until such time comes, stop mentioning it when discussing alternatives.
And what’s the point if the baseband is not open?
Gmail: any email service
Android: root it, use a custom launcher and utility apps.
GMaps: Waze (lets you provide your own speech samples, even)
You don't have to secede from these whole platforms - just extend around them and reach into them.
You’re examples:
Google.
Your examples are all fucking google.
OP's question was about how power users can keep UX control while services degrade their features to cater to average users. That's what I care about, not ideological purity in my software stack.
People like you are the tech equivalents of the militant vegan.