I speak to them every week and in fact I did ask them this week. It's very insightful. They understand that the phone is on and that it drains the batteries in

I speak to them every week and in fact I did ask them this week. It's very insightful. They understand that the phone is on and that it drains the batteries in the same way it did pre-smartphone. The same way an electrical device consumes electricity. The idea of background activity linked to apps (as opposed to general system activity to keep the phone running) they have installed is not something they are aware of. Hence, the first action when it happens is to take it to a technician to "fix" it or buy a new one. You can desire all you want. Doesn't change the reality. You can't truly have control without understanding. All it means is that users will get some user defaults (and the device will function exactly as it does now) or worse, they will be compelled to change the user defaults to their detriment (and to the benefit of a third party). There's a fundamental information asymmetry. This is the source of the power imbalance and giving more "control" to users (who already struggle to understand the one they already have) won't fix it. It's not too different from consumer protection laws. Consumers have a limited understanding of their power while companies have a wider understanding. This means that overall companies win and there needs to be a knowledgeable third party constantly watching and advocating over the interests of the consumer. Techies have this tendency of trying to fix every problem with tech, even when it doesn't work (looking at every problem like a nail that can be hammered). You can't fix this with more tech. A better solution (by no means an optimal one) is to have public free phone tech knowledgeable advocates that people can see in person to talk about their problems and desires regarding their device.