If there was a choice to a non-walled garden. It has been taken away, how can you bank without one of the two?

You're right, all Android users who are upset about this change are free to switch to iOS.

Right like someone who can only afford a $100 phone can buy the cheapest iPhone which is 5x more expensive.

This is about like the geeks who hate the idea of ad supported services and think that everyone should just pay for every service they use.

FWIW: I do exclusively buy Apple devices, pay for streaming services ad free tier, the Stratechery podcast bundle, ATP and the Downstream podcasts and Slate. I also pay for ChatGPT and refuse to use any ad supported app or game.

I think that OP's point was that the alternative is even more locked down. There is no option for people who don't want to be nannied.

It's not like there's much of an alternative, but that's irrelevant anyway. Android is becoming more like an iPhone, and as long as the OS is able and willing to reliably report to anyone asking just how tightly it is locked down, we have zero choice in the matter, because increasingly many important apps (like bank and government apps) plain refuse to work if device is locked down less than it could be.