I read the study, it only compares just one iPhone to one Google Pixel phone and it concludes that Google just sends more accumulated data, not more data type. The reason for that is because DroidGuard send a full device integrity report to google to check things like the bootloader, mounts, if its rooted, if its an emulator, etc… Plus its checking for API hooking like Frida as the study testers where using. Droidguard is a huge obfuscated blob of data so sending loads of obfuscated data keys makes sense. The study concludes that while google calls for more data, the type of data regarding privacy is the same for iOS and Google Android.

You say that you want your phone for productivity like modifying your phone would be unproductive. Which is funny since your are on Lemmy commenting on a post about “Mildy Infuriating Stuff”. If you do not care for for modification is one thing, but if one wishes to do so one should be able to do it. I’m totally fine with using tools as is, but if one would like to modify it then Apple, Google or whomever should not prevent it, if it voids the warranty or some other contract then so be it. It is your tool not theirs.

I agree with you that Google are a piece of shit, just that I think the same of Apple. I think that buying a phone for $1500 when there are other options for $400 is insane. From what I have read most developers and regular people who want privacy and freedom try to de-Google their phone, or run a custom ROM, and on their PC they run Debian, Arch or whatever. If that i not an option for you that is fine, but is not for nothing that people are running away from Apple and Google while they are getting their asses sued, it is not for nothing that government institutions around the world are replacing Windows with GNU/Linux.