GPLv2 is still a tenable license. GPLv2 also has huge flaws around libre intentions, and it is reasonably easy for a company to sidestep the intent of a copyleft license.
GPLv3, which was created to prevent companies from side-stepping the intent of FOSS, is a huge limiting factor to any project - companies simply cannot risk the implications of using it. And thus, projects using it rarely see commercial commits back - a huge source of contribution for any popular library.
As for firmware and phones, well, those are increasingly the majority of devices in existence. And servers are increasingly forgoing shipping userspaces, as they move to a more hardened and lightweight role.
The GPL is only in places where it is defanged (v2). Its use is steadily declining. The amount of use-cases for it is steadily declining. This has been the general trend of the industry and computers.
They are not on the winning side of libre/copyleft, and have not been for over a decade now. It is tragic.