This software works well on my Pinephone too.
I'm happy to trade my flexibility to allow the GNOME the flexibility to make improvements that benefit all.
I understand some want more flexibility, however.
I can stick out my neck to recommend upstream GNOME to any coming from macOS or perhaps even Windows. All default apps work great, often better than 3rd party alternatives. Where as in other DE's, I often had to replace default apps including even file manager!
So if preventing theming can preserve this usability, I'm all in for it.
Maybe we should just admit that this is the Gnome Way. If customization is super important for you, maybe KDE, .. are the better options. There's a choice. =)
I did exactly the same ~4mo ago, vanilla Gnome on Arch is blazing fast compared to the Ubuntu one...hell the whole system is, and the archinstaller is great! Perfect KISS i would say, if one need's more then do it the "old" way.
However Gnome40 was just installed to test it, since i use i3 normally, i cant stand the Windows shuffling anymore, it makes me just angry to sort the space on my screen, and i don't even use the tilling thing "correctly" just tabs, virtual desktops and sometimes a floating window.