Installing the google play services to get (nearly) all apps working doesn't defeat the purpose of graphene as they are still sandboxed and you can set all permissions manually. So google only gets the information you explicitly allow.

Some apps will not tolerate the absence of Google Play Services, like WalletOfSatoshi or Muun, and just crash. You can install a compatibility layer, but I personally think it defeats the purpose of Graphene. Anyway, I always find a replacement app that just works. Oh, and some apps won't show no...

When people just programmed computers