You're reading their comment in a way that most people wouldn't and that the author clearly didn't intend. Android can be and is installed on lots of appliances that aren't meant to give users control, like refrigerators and many Samsung phones. It is also installed on devices that give users control (and can be installed on lther devices that give users control and don't install Android by default). That is the difference between it and iOS.

I would argue though that even Samsung phones give more user control than iOS phones (not that I would buy either one). Even though you can't install your own remix of Android, you can disable or remove most of what you don't like and install anything that targets the Android APIs.