Yeah, it's all Apple's fault again that Android OEMs has no brand loyalty because they sold their souls to the do-no-evil Google. It's also Apple's fault they correctly surmised right from the beginning that ecosystem lock-in is a far powerful tool to sustain loyalty than Android OEMs throwing ever more hardware at a fundamental software deficiency they have no control of while their profits simply vaporized once the phase of good enough hardware hitted in 2013.
The mental gymnastics used to blame Apple is amazing.
That's too hyperbolic (to reuse a word). I do think that Android OEMs face an uphill battle because they have no true way to stand out in terms of software, but a lot of their problems have come from their own reluctance to cultivate loyalty.
Long-term software support is one problem, for example -- it's not just that vendors tend to drop upgrade support early (less than 2 years is common), it's that different models get different levels of support. Your high-end phone may get two years of support at best, but an entry-level phone may be abandoned after the first major update. What reason is there to stick with an OEM that stops caring about you the moment there's a new product on the shelves?
The other issue is a lack of focus. Many brands have an every-niche-must-be-filled approach that utterly dilutes their design resources and public image. Samsung is the most notorious for this (it was only after the Galaxy S5 failed that it started trimming down its model line), but LG, Sony and others do it too. Develop a reputation for premium products, or low-cost products, but not both -- otherwise, you end up making lowest common denominator products and give buyers little idea of what to expect.
People accuse Apple of being out of touch with the developing world and leaving money on the table as it insists on making high-priced products. However, it's that very focus which is keeping it profitable, even in China and other markets where low-cost phones are supposed to reign supreme. It not only doesn't feel compelled to kill its profit margins like many of its rivals, it sets itself up as an aspirational brand (deserved or otherwise) that you choose simply because you've heard good things about it. The iPhone SE may have a 4-inch display and 16GB of storage at $399, but it's still going to be seen as a dream phone in Shanghai or Mumbai.