> Google with SafetyNet attestation (whatever the hell its called these days) has pretty much locked down Android as tightly as iOS at this point.

SafetyNet doesn't lock anything down, it just provides an API for applications to verify the app is running in a verifiable and untampered environment.

> SafetyNet […] provides an API for applications to verify the app is running in a verifiable and locked down environment.

FTFY