Android the OS isn't where the value lies. It is the Android ecosystem - the applications, drivers, and hardware. Google has essentially taken over the ecosyst

Android the OS isn't where the value lies. It is the Android ecosystem - the applications, drivers, and hardware. Google has essentially taken over the ecosystem via their Google Play API. I know this first hand as my beloved Blackberry OS 10 was able to run Android apps. Now this is almost impossible as the majority of apps created in the last few years have hooks into Google's APIs and absolutely won't work without all of Google's hooks into your privacy. I don't imagine roms that avoid GApps will be a viable alternative in a year or two either. Microsoft has been trying to develop an ability to run Android apps on their phones, and it looks like they're giving up too due to Google's lock on the APIs.