Are the older phones that aren't supported by Google any more basically DeGoogled by default?

Honest question. I bought a Galaxy S3 (with Android 4.4) and I've been using it lots. Thing is, it can't open Google Play and its browser (which is based on Google iirc) is dead, and its capabilities are basically what it'll accept from me shoving foreign APKs in it. I'm way happier with how things are now for me, my new phone, and my Frankenstein-esque experiments, but I'm honestly curious about how you all stand on phones like mine that Google has abandoned. I argue my phone is DeGoogled because they can't use it to track me after they've abandoned it, but at the same time those apps are still there, if reduced to empty husks that only exist now to look pretty on my home screen. They can't be deleted and much can't be done with them, but they can't do much to me either, so I don't see the issue. If anything else I hope this makes for a fun debate :P