About that free market - it might be free but lobbying culture in the US starts early, at school where Apple pushes products to influence future choices of students. Not choosing something which is used by everyone around is probably more difficult psychologically than standing up to the status quo and choosing alternatives whatever they are.

There are choices made for use - having a phone on which everyone around communicates, having an internet connection from the only provider in the area.

Uniformity is a choice if the alternative is a viable choice and this is a complex matter.