Google ditched that app too.

If you move from iPhone, where would you go?

I don't really want to go to Android, but as was pointed out above, at least side loading is possible. Everyone still can get Element right now, even though Google has banned it from their store. But if Apple banned it, I'd be immediately unable to get it.

You can use an open source community driven Android build like LineageOS or GraniteOS, if your phone supports it. You can even conpletely degoogle your phone this way :)

I’m seriously considering ditching my iPhones for any Nokia dumb phone. But what we really need is a mobile OS that is really free with no marketing BS, ideally BSD derived.

Like this one? https://pureos.net/ Running on a phone: https://puri.sm/products/librem-5/

Pinephone for a cheaper, less performant alternative: https://pine64.com/product-category/pinephone/?v=0446c16e2e6...

Unfortunately (since otherwise I’d be using one) both are unusable as practical replacements for Android or iOS.

Once calls/texts work with 100% reliability and it isn't slow as hell I'm going all in :)

Yeah - I don’t even care about calls that much.

Texts, not slow as hell, decent battery life, would do it for me.

You mean Ubuntu touch?

Parlez? Palais? Parley?