not sure that the argument that iOS is a luxury brand holds up in most european countries where you can just as well get an iOS or Android device with the same

not sure that the argument that iOS is a luxury brand holds up in most european countries where you can just as well get an iOS or Android device with the same subsidization from the carrier (especially since Apple does not only sell its last generation high end devices). There are still a couple of european countries where iOS devices sell extremely poorly. I am not sure if this is because of an absence of subsidies or another reason. Even if Android is the only option, you can always choose to refuse all data sharing from google, you are not forced to create a google account or to use google play. Admittedly, it makes things harder for a neophyte.