More and more functionality is being shoved into Google Play Services. I have a deGoogled phone running Lineage, but even with that, no Google Play Services, and some custom settings (like changing the captive portal URLs), there's still network traffic to Google. Add in relative unknowns like AGPS and the situation gets even worse. I also have no push notifications for most apps, have to keep a static notification so Android doesn't kill apps like my email client, AND still run micro-G for basic functionality to work. Oh, and thanks to SafetyNet there are still apps that refuse to run, even with systemless "undetectable" root.
Android itself might be really good, but it's pretty obvious that deGoogled phones have a strong chance of being functionally useless in the future.
Android itself might be really good, but it's pretty obvious that deGoogled phones have a strong chance of being functionally useless in the future.