Did you not read my post? I use Apple because it makes managing my family fleet easier. If I were by myself I would use a privacy focused ROM.
I’ve got users to manage, and Apple’s locked down approach makes it significantly easier. Everyone gets updates the same day, and phones are supported for years, not months. Backups are stupid easy if someone needs a replacement. iCloud is forgettable, which is ideal for the children and grandparents I manage.
Apple is collecting data on me, but selling data isn’t their primary business. The same cannot be said for Google, which is one of the reasons I’m not putting my family on stock Google. Apple is the lesser evil.