"Don't smartphones... kind of suck?"

Yes, they absolutely do.

"How many times have you had to replace a phone in the past 10 years? Do you have a drawer of random crap with a growing pile of phones,<...>"

Answer: 'many' in both instances.

Where possible, I root my phones and install LineageOS or other similar 'open' O/S. In instances where there's no LineageOS available or where LineageOS doesn't provide a full implementation of the phone's original software (in that some essential feature that I require is either missing or doesn't work properly under LineageOS) then I still root the original OEM's O/S and then deGgoogle it the best I can—that is, nuke all of Google's apps as well as all of the OEM's junkware apps then install GApps as well as various alternatives to Google's software, etc. including a firewall to stop certain apps getting access to ads.

I always install two essential apps, F-Droid (store) and Aurora Store which spoofs access to Google's Playstore.

Note: Be very careful in how you logon to Google's sites (that is if you still use them, Gmail for instance (luckily, I don't). Failure to take great care will mean that you'll be deemed by Google of having violated its terms of service and your account will be revoked or suspended!!

Most of you who will be reading this already know all these details, so the most significant thing I have to say is that I NO longer advocate to my friends that they ought to root their phones. I even include my many technical friends who could easily root their phones if they wanted to do so in this rule—because it's just not worth the risk of aliening them when things stuff up (as they often do) when phones are rooted.

Diehards like me have either no problems or they're problems I can easily live with. The trouble, however, is that the Google ecosystem is so addictive and all embracing that even many savvy techies find that they cannot live without certain features, or alternatively, they're so engrossed in using their apps that they haven't the time to even look for alternatives let alone take sufficient effort to evaluate them properly.

In my opinion, it's this utterly strong grip that Google has on its users that's the key issue—and major problem! Whilst rooting and LineageOS are great for the likes of you and me, they're not suitable for most people (as terrible as that me be). Period!

I'm of the strong opinion the only way around this dilemma is for some big Maverick manufacturer to manufacture a high performance, super-easy-to-use 'Fairphone'-like 'clone' that has even better performance than the current crop of non-Google alternatives—and it should also be even easier to use than current phones. Only then will there be sufficient momentum from sales to see other manufactures take up the challenge—and it's only then when we will end up with effective competition.

At present however, I'd not even give my wish a snowball's chance!

Moreover, frankly, I'm concerned that the current lot of manufactures that make Google alternatives is just too small to make any appreciable difference. That said, I wish them well—and few I'd reckon would be happier than me if my assessment turned out to be totally wrong.