It’s not. It depends on how open the phone is and if it relies on exploits to root or if there’s an official method. Pixels are open and you can just install whatever you want on them, with open source drivers (although Google is trying to stop that too). So to install Graphene, for instance, it’s literally a web app with one or two clicks to do it automatically.

Fair. Unfortunately, mine don’t.

You can’t use Google Wallet to pay with NFC, they don’t have Miracast, and Chromecast can supposedly work but I haven’t been able to get it to work. Those are the three major hurdles I’ve found, but getting away from Google was a priority so I’ll live without them.

NFC can have other providers other than Google Wallet, but I haven’t found any that I find trustworthy enough yet. Supposedly the EU is making an alternative.