[dartharva]

>We find that the Samsung, Xiaomi, Huawei and Realme Android variants all transmit a substantial volume of data to the OS developer (i.e. Samsung etc) and to third-party parties that have pre-installed system apps (including Google, Microsoft, Heytap, LinkedIn, Facebook).

Of course they do. That's the whole reason they're selling high-capacity hardware for cheap, they more than make up for their foregone profits from user data and third party partnerships.

That's why you should always flash a custom ROM whenever you buy a "value for money" Android phone; never stay on the vendor's OS. Thankfully, except Samsung and Huawei, most other Android device manufacturers aren't actively working on locking down their firmware against customization and appear tolerant as of yet. You can even choose not to install Google services on your phone, although it would make using it normally a hassle.