[General Topics] extremecarver:
The only problem I see with google is that they are stuck with Samsung node. Last year up to September or so this didn't matter - because before Snapdragon 8 Gen 1+ the alternative was only old phones.

This year it's different.

But if software updates come at a pace of China OS devices (like Vivo China OS, Oppo China OS or Xiaomi China OS after first year) and your banking apps stop working or whatever due to it - it kinda leaves google and Samsung as the only viable buys. Yeah China OS devices are cheap but likely they are EOL after 2 years outside China - and inside China not much better with any security updates being stopped 2.5 years in. Outside China you likely cannot even get the batteery replaced except trying your luck on aliexpress and Co. to import a genuine replacement battery (and fake batteries are way too common - hard to find any genuine ones outside of a manufacturer shop and even then they may sell you fakes - huge advantage at Apple here).

The pixel 6a sells for really low prices - e.g. i Taiwan 8000 ntd which is <240€ / <260 USD. including sales taxes... All other phones in that price range either run out of software updates soon or are much worse compromises.

And the software features of other devices? Well wouldn't trust a China OS anything when it comes to secure space or secure keyboard. Means likely it's sent to China CCP servers with priority support... And when you start debloating things, other things will stop working.

E.g. BBK phones - take away the appstore (better china crapstore) and you cannot sideload apks anymore. Ridiculous. Take away the phone or messaging app - and while you can receive calls or messages you cannot make calls or messages with other apps anymore if on China OS. Now BBK phones except Oneplus with global OS are way overpriced vs google.

Google and Samsung charge with any USB-PD charger at their full speed. BBK/Xiaomi/Meizu and whatever phones charge at 10-20w only if lucky on USB-PD so you rely on their proprietary charging - which is not only proprietary on the charger but also on their cable as they don't use standard pin configuration (changed now on Xiaomi 13 Ultra which I think went back to default config - otherwise cannot use one cable for USB 3.2 as well as their proprietary charging). BBK phones if they have USB 3.x need another cable for USB 3.x than the one supplied as the supplied ones are made for their proprietary charging and mess up the pins giving you USB 2.0 speeds only (yeah USB 3.2 100w charging cables so far are all pretty expensive - most cheap cables only do either or but it's possible at least)

That's why the Samsung S23 series excells. Finally again without all those limitations from Chinaphones (also with global OS) that has a good SOC again. Huawei used to be on a similar level but that was stopped now 2.5 years ago with restrictions and so either no google framework or on older phones stuck on Android 10.

Dual apps, secure space, work folder whatever - Just dive into Shizuku and you can even get open source solutions for this that you can trust unlike the China manufacturers.

At least things work unlike Vivo, Oppo and Xiaomi that have hundreds of bugs. What sense is a face unlock that you can trigger with a photo or with a mask on? Face unlock should only be supported by devices that don't use the camera for it but instead a laser sensor.

If a feature isn't hardware related, you can kinda always find a better software solution for it - except on chinese phones that kill apps running in background - especially shizuku. Root with Magisk or Shizuku is a must.