I've zero interest in the high end phone market, I'm sort of horrified at 6, 7, $800+ the prices, and I feel like I use fewer and fewer apps all the time.
Hopefully google with the 'a' models and Apple with the SE will stick with the mid range products.
Every update ... i wondered if it would fall into the loop... but got lucky.
That's why I'm never buying a Google branded phone.
My recollection is that the problem was an LG manufacturing defect that also affected some of their self-branded phones released around the same time... but yes, I don't know that I'd call Google a "stand behind their product" company in the way some are.
I wouldn't really describe myself as upset with the lifetime of my 5X, but I definitely would have kept it longer. I shifted to the Nokia 6.1 which was fine although with its own quirks and issues, but the price was certainly right. I'm happy now with a Pixel 3a.
The pixel 4a has “No guaranteed Android version updates after August 2023” according to google. $350 / 3 = $116/year.
iPhone 11 is $699 according to google. Let’s assume 5 years of support which is reasonable for Apple at this point which = $139.80/year.
Galaxy S8 seems to have been released 3 years ago and only has android 9.0. So let’s call that 3 years (might be less since I don’t know when the last update landed). Assuming the same for the $900 S10 = $300/year.
Note that I am told some phones have advertisements built in and also some manufacturers are also selling your data but not sure how to cost this in (and some people don’t care).
So given that iPhones are not a serious option, this phone seems like the best that exists.
Pixel doesn't have any advertisements built in the phone and the latest versions of the OS do give you control over all permissions and background access by apps.