If Android had provided an defining UI API like this entirely in C without using Java, Android would have 100% monopolized the mobile OS market. So fast, efficient.
Somehow I don't think it's that easy. But yeah, the way Java was used and with XML etc was horrible. Android development continues to be pretty horrible to this day, but due to a variety of reasons.
If I need to target Android natively today, I first consider Flutter (non-web).
For iOS only apps there's little reason to stay away from Swift.