At this point, an Android phone without Google Play Services is mostly useless. You can't use maps, you can't even use notifications!
Google Maps must be the biggest value-add Google has built for their phone ecosystem, full stop. I see no reason they should give that away no strings attached. I am no Google fan but it's one of the few things they have done which positively impacts me almost daily.
No one is forcing these other companies to make and sell phones. They don't even have the choice with iOS.
I'm really struggling to see where the consumer harm is.