Samsung displays in Pixels means Google gave up on panel differentiation. The whole selling point of Pixel was in-house components, not buying from the same vendor Samsung uses for Galaxy S flagships. You are paying a premium for a phone that uses commodity parts Google could have sourced years ago.
OnePlus burned through their goodwill systematically. Removing wireless charging, downgrading screens while raising prices toward flagship territory. OPPO bailing them out was the canary in the coal mine. A brand that does not know what it is cannot be saved by subsidies.
Samsung phones are an absolute bloat nightmare. Every app is locked down, every update removes features, and Good Lock is just corporate Stockholm Syndrome pretending to be customization. Buy anything else.
The best app I found this year is Tasker. Not for automation, for privacy. It lets me block background telemetry on apps that have no business connecting to servers I did not authorize. The UI is from 2012 and the learning curve is steep, but once you understand it you realize how much data every app is siphoning without your consent.