> Apple can do it because they lock you into their walled garden where they can double and triple dip on getting your money.

What does this even mean?

If you're so concerned about not paying for anything, all you need is buy the phone from Apple. You don't have to pay for anything else.

The reason Apple can support their phones for longer is because they control most of the stack: https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2011/09/owning-the-stack...