That's definitely a good reason why, but perhaps if iOS or Android were to research what the best layout is for typical touch screen typing and release that as a new default, people would find it quite quick to learn a second layout and soon get just the benefits?

After all, with TVs I've had the same experience as you with the annoying alphabetical keyboard, but we type into they maybe a couple of times a year, or maybe once in 5 years, whereas if we changed our phone keyboard layout we'd likely get used to it quite quickly.

Even if not going so far as to push it as a new default for all users (I'm willing to accept the possibility that I'm speaking for myself as the kind of geeky person who wouldn't mind the initial inconvenience of a new kb layout if it meant saving time in the long run, and that maybe a large majority of people would just hate it too much to be willing to give it a chance), they could at least figure out what the best layout is (maybe this has been studied and decided already, by somebody?) and offer that as an option for us geeks.