My current phone is a Google Pixel 2XL. It has been by far the best phone I have ever owned. My first 2 phones have been were by Apple, then tried a few different Android phones including the phones by Samsung and several Google Nexus devices. Initially I would upgrade annually, then I skipped a year and now I’ve had my Pixel 2XL for over 3 years.
Yes the Pixel 2XL has been that good. The battery life is amazing, it has a great camera and I haven’t really felt any inadequacies or features in new phones since that would compel me to upgrade. However I’m finally at a point where I continually am nearing the 64Gb storage limit and it’s giving me an excuse to upgrade.
I am a big fan of the pure Android experience from Google and having the ability to get OS upgrades as soon as Apple releases them. I’m leaning towards getting the new Pixel 5 although I’m also considering the Pixel 4a (5g). I gave a little consideration to the Samsung Galaxy S20 FE (5g) but the lack of speedy Android updates along with the bloated cruft that Samsung adds to the phone and forcing of some of their core apps are things I remember from my last Samsung that were enough to dissuade me from considering it even though feature and price-wise it’s a compelling alternative. I’m just waiting for the new Pixels to arrive somewhere where I can test them out before making my decision.
Google has focused their new phones to hit the sweet spot of having pretty cutting edge technology but not trying to go over the top and become another flagship to compete with Apple or Samsung in the $1000+ price range. I think this is smart since it’s clear most people are keeping their phones much longer, are price conscious and can’t justify the benefits of these top contenders anymore.