I had a non-technical friend with an Android phone (full of malware btw). She didn’t care about Apple, never used any of their products nor need it for the “social status” or anything (her friends are all on WhatsApp so no issues with iMessage). I gave her an old iPhone 7 to try out, a couple weeks later she would never consider going back to Android ever.

I didn't see any benefits at all. Only annoyances.

I don't actually believe your story the way you told it. Was her Android a 50 dollar piece of Chinese junk or Samsung? Only way I could believe it.

Apple slows down old phones, no one gives 5 years of support.

Pixel might count, but they don’t guarantee more than 2 years of Android updates. The built-in processors are years behind what Apple provides, so it’s understandable.

Any that can be rooted

If I cared about security, you’re saying the phone that the FBI famously had trouble breaking into is a bad choice?

If I cared about privacy, you’re saying I should prefer Android — an operating system made by the literal inventor of surveillance capitalism?

Weird narrative here.