I think you may have misunderstood the meaning of customization. You can do more with the platform, ie. adding more toggle controls on the pull-down notification shade, bigger icon grid size on the home screens, have a more informative lockscreen etc etc while MAINTAINING the consistent UI. Do you remember how pathetic windows phone is on WP8.1 where we can have only like 4 toggles on the notification shade instead of what we are seeing now with W10M? Android offers much more flexibility than other mobile OSes out there. It's like the old windows mobile. Why do you think we are seeing Samsung making new flagships with curve screens capabilities, or the Notes series with powerful stylus controls which harness the openness power of Android? And here we are with the new W10M flagships, which are looking just a boring as the old Lumia series with nothing groundbreaking at all but always about how good the camera is and that's it?
There are no delays with updates for the pure Android Nexus series. What's "delaying" are the OEMs - and they delayed the updates for a purpose and that's to sell more of their latest flagships instead of focusing on the older models. Performance issues - which platform doesn't has performance issues? W10M has its performance issues too, so does WP8.1. If there are no performance issues, there will not be any updates and patches for a platform at all.
I'm not rooting for Android here but there are really lots of people like you who totally misunderstood the openness of Android. It is like a knife - one can make good uses of it, while others may misuse it in awful ways.
I do agree with your last point - I have left windows phone and hopped onto the iPhone bandwagon instead of Android - mainly because of better apps quality and selections. But if I want to do more on a mobile platform, Android will be my choice instead of Windows phone and iPhone.
I fully understand what customization is and what android is about as I (stupidly) used it exclusively from its inception in 2008 to 2012 when I finally left that frustration for Lumia where I am happy.
I am not sure how it is pathetic or makes WP 8/8.1 inferior because we couldn't have such trivial things such as more than 4 toggles on the notification bar. Personally, while I love Windows 10, I hate how android it has become in its UI and I think Microsoft is sadly forced to conform to a narrow minded perception of bland users(android fans) to find any semblance of success and that is a double-edged sword. In hopes of getting Windows Phone to have relevance they have to emulate their competitors while at the same time they have isolated their own userbase by tearing apart the uniqueness and consistency of Windows Phone 7/8 in favor of the android like design we have now in Windows 10.
I personally find Samsung's new edge to look like a suppository and is easily the worst designs to date from Sansung. Despite their cheap plastic, I greatly preferred Samsung's earlier designs for Galaxy(especially the GS4).
I personally don't find flashing roms or changing icon sizes or having a bunch of BS on my lockscreen cool, innovative, or interesting in the least. I personally don't find an ugly grid of icons and having to scroll from page to page attractive. I also don't find the intrusive notifications appealing of android.
all the power and openness of android is largely irrelevant for me and most Windows Phone because the OS itself is truly nothing special. Windows 10 is an OS for me, that with its growing pains, connects me from whatever platform I am on and Microsoft's strengths with their apps allow me to fully be able to leave one aspect if I wished(for example: Windows Phone) and go to Android/IOS. IOS nor Android are powerful enough where I can connect my gaming, my tablet, my PC, my desktop, my augmented reality wear, my smartwatch, etc etc. Because while they are trying to force me into their garden...Microsoft with Windows and its apps are giving me the freedom to still choose Microsoft without having to marry them and give my life away.
If I was a google users(thankfully, I am smart enough to not hype google up), I'd have a miserable experience on Windows Phone. No Google services. My best experience is on an android device or with some sacrifices, IOS.
So sure Android does offer flexibility. But as open as Android is...it still restricts me and my choices and it goes against Google's initial stance from 2008 when they were the company to "Do no evil" and were a company that seemingly had the consumer's interest in mind. 8 years later and Google now is the King of mobile and has no problem isolating millions of users or forcing people to leave a platform just to use their services. But they get a pass for it while Microsoft has been condemned for the same thing.
Bringing me to my point...Why do I need to go to Nexus just to get the best Android experience? I technically don't have to choose Lumia for the best WP experience(even more relevant now since we lost a lot of lumia exclusivity unfortunately). I brought an Alcatel OneTouch Fierce recently...aside from a lack of Lumia apps, the phone is essentially no different than any of the other low end hardware.
I get the same bogus excuse from many android users/fans...Nexus is the best, nexus is this or that...then how come Nexus is nowhere as relevant as Samsung, LG, Motorola, Xiaomi, Oneplus, HTC or Sony? When I hear people getting excited for their android devices in the real world(since I used to sell phones) it wasn't for the new nexus...it was for the latest of the models above.
The millions who you CHOOSE better phones(Because Samsung provides much better cameras, features, etc etc) are forced to wait months for updates. Because after all Android is open and customizable. Misinformed customers buying tablets and then wondering why their tablets are out of date and can use this feature or that feature or that app.
You are absolutely right....Android is like a Knife. But let's not try and prop up android to be the best because it isn't.
Performance wise? You are right...all platforms do. Including Windows 10 mobile. Difference is, I brought a 1520 this past weekend...it can and will run Windows 10 and is still being supported as is the 2012 Lumia 920 and Lumia 1020 from 2013.
Even Apple is capable of supporting hardware (Albeit it is not always good) for many years....unless it is a Nexus, tell me how long most Android phones get supported for. Certainly not 4 years.
My 1520 doesn't slow down the way an android phones does over a period of time. So yeah performance issues are far worse on Android....and the thing is, I have to buy a phone that is
1. Pure Android(Stock)
2. At least Quad core 600....
3. No less than 2 GB of ram
4. If I want a quality camera, that makes it even more difficult.
I can buy a $30 lumia 640 today and not have to worry about most of that and it runs the OS just fine without needing to spend a bunch of cash just for a quality experience and good performance. Hence why the 640(and the XL) get praise for what they offer at the price they are sold.