[GuB-42]

Android slowly became that.

AOSP used to be the complete Android system, more or less. And when you bought a Nexus device from Google, that's what you got. But they progressively abandoned the stock apps to replace them by their proprietary counterparts, or ones tied to their online services.

Then, they replaced their Nexus line of phones with the Pixel line. Pixels are full of proprietary technology, and their last move was to make Android development private.

[someNameIG]

AOSP is still fully open source and allows you to build a complete Android system on it though. Theirs open source GrapheneOS, LineageOS, /e/OS, and the closed source onset on Chinese domestic phones that have their own proprietary versions on play services.

[ndiddy]

Here's a pretty good Linus Tech Tips video where he installs stock AOSP on a Pixel phone and goes over how it's virtually unusable. Just like you say, while the Pixel UI may be Google's vision for how the Android platform should work, they've moved to keeping their UI development private just like every other Android vendor. Meanwhile, stock AOSP has basically been left to rot. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-hlRB2izres

[hollerith]

However, GrapheneOS is thoroughly de-Googled and it regularly incorporates and benefits from new AOSP releases.

[nolist_policy]

It's still a better experience than a pinephone.