Microsoft takes best of both worlds: sells proprietary OS for money, but also collects data and even displays ads.
It's six of one and half dz of the other. They're both as bad as one another in some shape or form. The apparent opposition to each other is nothing more then theatrics.
Apple is pushing 'privacy protections forward,' CEO Tim Cook says https://www.cnet.com/news/apple-is-pushing-privacy-protections-forward-ceo-tim-cook-says/
Sundar Pichai's commentary is nonsensical to begin with. Apple isn't -- as far as we know -- threatening user privacy to the degree Google admittedly does. Hence, it is Google that is forcing privacy to become a luxury good... not Apple. That would have been like the Commandant of a Nazi Concentration Camp saying "We provide free bread and water occasionally to our prisoners, and our prisoners should thank us because America is turning food into a luxury good as otherwise they would have to pay for their meals there." What?!?
I agree. Without Apple even users of high-end mobile devices would not have privacy. I prefer privacy for rich than privacy for almost nobody.