Help me choose my next Android phone

[crocheted_stache]

I have a four-year-old medium-low-end Motorola, which is no longer getting security updates, a fact corporate IT is now prodding me about. It wouldn't hurt my feelings or my career to take a break from checking work email outside my laptop, but there are other reasons to upgrade. It's also full, because I take a lot of pictures (most of which I'd rather not share with the cloud). It seems to be getting phone-senile, needing to reboot for various stalls about weekly. This last is the real reason for urgency. It could be on the verge of a breakdown that a reboot wouldn't correct.

I kind of hate this part of the process, picking out new devices. I like to own things for a long time, especially if it's something where I have to stop and learn how to use the upgraded version. I'd probably be happily chugging along on Windows XP if that were a reasonable option. (That's a bit of an exaggeration, but there are things that don't seem to be improving, plus a good many "improvements" that I spend weeks figuring out how to turn off, every time I get a new laptop.)

I'd like to keep, if possible:

• My $6 per month annual "minimalist" US Mobile contract. (I will buy the phone unlocked, à la carte.)
• The hardware headphone jack. I have a pair of wired, over-the-ear headphones I really like. They sound pretty good for the $25 I spent. They connect the first time. They are not earbuds.
• The generous battery life, which usually lasts a full day on a charge.
• The ability to plug in a 128GB SD card to help store my too many photos and podcasts.
• The Motorola ecosystem. There are some Moto-specific gesture controls I've come to like. Also, I'm very used to the navigation and whatnot. I'm open to suggestions on this one, since I realize it limits my options.

I'd like to add/improve:

• Longevity of support/upgrades and of the device itself. (According to review sites, Moto makes a practice of short-changing their lower-end phones for OS and security upgrades past a year or two.)
• The camera. It's pretty decent, but I think other phones, especially Pixel and iPhone, do better. It really struggles if there's any backlight.
• The ability to function overseas (meaning chiefly Europe and Canada) by plugging in a few extra bucks. US Mobile does this by eSim. I don't know enough to know if there are other ways to go about it. Current phone, which I'd happily use another five years if I could, has no such thing, so this is not a deal-breaker. It looks like relatively few manufacturers support eSim.

I'd like to avoid:

• Samsung. I had one a while ago, and it left a bad taste in my mouth.
• Four-figure price tags. Probably also high-three-figure price tags, although I'd pay more if I thought it would last longer or serve better.
• Apple. Not my thing. I'll take the silly green balloons or whatever, and my 20-something colleague can go on thinking I'm a hopeless dinosaur.
• Google Pixel. I have a very long way to go to reduce the Google in my life enough to matter, but I'm not sure I want to add a hardware layer. I'm willing to be talked into one—maybe.
• Excessive manufacturer bloatware. (Part of my objection to Samsung, above.) Is there even an option to avoid it anymore?
• Folding phones. Seems gimmicky and likelier to fail.

It's possible that the most useful outcome from writing this wish list is for myself to see it all in one place, but I would welcome insights and opinions.

[curious_george]

I know you don't like Samsung, but I would highly recommend Samsung Galaxy a15 for someone like yourself  Here are a few pros and cons:

+Battery life.

DW has this phone and gets approximately 14 hours of screen on time or 5-6 days of standby time. It puts my pixel to shame.

+Expandable microsd card.

+Wired headphones jack

+Updates

4 years of OS updates and 5 years of security updates.

+Specs

128 GB onboard storage, 4/6/8 GB ram variants, super AMOLED screen, etc.

+Price

DW bought hers new off eBay for 130 dollars. Works great, still had the original plastic film on the screen and buttons.

-Samsung UI

It is a different UI experience, but pretty easy to get used to. We have both had Samsung phones previously so this wasn't a huge issue for her.

ETA: Another phone I would consider if you have a higher budget would be the Nothing phone 2a if you really want to avoid the bloatware.

[Daley]

When you don't want Apple, Samsung or Google, and who can blame you... look into OnePlus. The 11/12 have some of the longest security updates in the industry, though buying older and used tends to cut into that timeline. Stay away from the Nord series, however. There will likely even be aftermarket OS options after EOL from LineageOS and the like. HMD/Nokia has also been known to line up an occasional handset for extended security updates, but I don't have any recent phones of that nature to recommend on that front. (Edit: otherwise, if it was last year, I'd tell you the Nokia XR21 - which would have been perfect.) Unfortunately, long OS security feature updates with Android are kind of the domain of the expensive flagship models for the most part, which also means copycat hardware deletions on the handsets that mimic Apple's toxic design trends, like the loss of microSD storage expansion and headphone jacks. There are exceptions from Samsung, but a lot can be said about whether you're willing to put up with Samsung's build quality, poor security track record with their custom Exynos SOCs, and OneUI/bloatware for that long. (If you know, you know - and it seems like you know.)

Regarding specific models in question, US Mobile kinda complicates that... not because they of who they are, or the fact that they're offering SIM cards and plans on all three major networks now, but because of the underlying networks involved. If you're on a Verizon SIM, you'll need LTE Band 13, not a huge ask with high-end flagship smartphones, but still be aware. If you need a T-Mobile SIM, understand that you'll need their full 4G/5G band support on their network to ensure you have nationwide voice coverage, and fortunately OnePlus is a T-Mobile partner in this country. I won't bother with the AT&T headaches of their approved IMEI whitelisting for service and devices since AT&T access on US Mobile is past couple months recent.

But yeah, I think what you're looking for is a OnePlus 12. It's imperfect as you lose two of your key hardware features, because Apple design trends, but pretty much everything else is there and you can at least add back in a headphone jack through the USB-C port for $10. Otherwise, maybe the Nokia/HMD XR21 would be exactly what you want, though the security update lifespan on the Nokia at this point is significantly shorter, but it's also nearly half the price new.

[Morning Glory]

I have a 2 year old Samsung galaxy A32 which works fine. The only complaint I have is the camera isn't quite as good as the moto g series I had previously, and I do miss being able to shake the flashlight on and off.

[Bartlebooth]

Motorola is probably where you want to stay.  It is where I will be looking first when my Pixel 4a dies.

Moto G 5G 2024 has a lot of what you are looking for: headphone jack, eSIM, SD card, big battery, Motorola ecosystem.  Only $180.

And a random thing: as a non-mainstream (???) phone shopper, you may want to look at https://www.unihertz.com/ just to see what they offer.  They are one of the few manufacturers that I am aware of doing actually interesting/innovative things.

[HipGnosis]

Admittedly not a directly related reply, but...
I am a BIG fan of Motorola. 
I was in a multi-vehicle accident in '19.
My Motorola E4 got 'bent'.   But it still worked, which was a godsend in the hospital (actually 2 of them).
It was bent and kinda twisted.  The glass/screen, battery and case/circuit board were all bent / twisted slightly different. 

[Daley]

I'll admit, the Moto gestures (at least flashlight turn on) can be invaluable. It's partly why I'm not upset to still use Motos that support third party firmware for myself. This said, my path isn't for all, and I was struggling with a solution to this part earlier with the other hardware recommendations I made for you. Now, I know it's not the full suite of Moto gestures, but after some research, it looks like Shake Flashlight & Camera should at least give you the two biggies back on any other Android device. It's ad driven, though.

Alternately, if the karate choppin' flashlight is really the only function you really want, there's a far more privacy friendly version that has an ad-free option (after letting the phone play five minuts of ads to itself) with Hi-Power Shake.

If either of these covers the Moto gestures you're really wanting and might miss, then that frees you up for pretty much any other Android device.

[crocheted_stache]

Thank you, everyone. I'm busy paying attention to several other things, but I have read all the replies. Even if the outcome is to pick something in the Moto lineup again, I'll be reviewing a few more spec sheets and reviews. This is not a super high-dollar purchase, at least not for the phones I usually pick, but it's one I intend to keep for several years. That makes it worth undertaking a more detailed selection process.

[cangelosibrown]

I have probably owned 10 phones over the last 10 years (8 of them broken by smashing), the last 9 being whatever the cheapest available Motorola was at the time. Always been happy with them, although the camera is terrible. I want to spend less time on my phone, not more, so I don't see why I wouldn't buy the cheapest thing that works. Currently have a moto g 5g 2024 that I picked up for $60 from Google Fi. Plenty happy with it .

[crocheted_stache]

I have probably owned 10 phones over the last 10 years (8 of them broken by smashing), the last 9 being whatever the cheapest available Motorola was at the time. Always been happy with them, although the camera is terrible. I want to spend less time on my phone, not more, so I don't see why I wouldn't buy the cheapest thing that works. Currently have a moto g 5g 2024 that I picked up for $60 from Google Fi. Plenty happy with it .

For what it's worth, Motorola tends to put the outgoing year's phones on sale in November/December, which is a good choice if you want one that's not carrier locked...and you happen to put off that year's smash until later in the year. Usually the lowest-end one is $100 or so.

The past few phones, I've put an extra ~$20 into a rugged case, which have so far (knock wood!) succeeded at protecting the phone in the event of a sudden gust of gravity. Whether or not I can credit the claimed MIL spec on my case, I'm sure it's the only reason my current phone has survived into its crotchety old-for-a-phone age with screen intact.