Hmm…
I was just thinking: I could buy a Pixel 2 for $98. That qualifies for the Samsung trade in program.
Total cost for the S22 Ultra w/ 256GB would be $300+98-30= $368
I could probably sell my current phone for at least $150 (starts at $176 on swappa now), netting my cost to $200 ish
If I bought the same phone from google fi now, it would cost me $810 ($900 - $90 trade in)
Overheating is why I switched to Apple back in 2014. No ragrets.
I was always apple until a few years back. Apple phones would constantly drop calls at my house, or just not ring through at all. It was annoying. This is the first non-apple phone I’ve had an issue with. It’s only a problem during the hottest part of the year (which is still a dealbreaker for me), but crappy phone reception is an even worse dealbreaker.
ETA: It’s partly a cell signal strength issue at my house, which Google Fi renders meaningless for me
This pixel 5 is by far the best phone I’ve ever had. I’ll probably wait and hope the pixel 8 comes in a smaller version. I’m really cranky that the 7 is only going to be available in “too damn big”.
I know you said you weren’t quite ready for the flip phones, but Samsung also has a killer deal on the new Z Flip 4 at their website via the trade in program. You can get the 256GB version for only $140 there, and they’ll throw in a free case. Your Pixel 5 gets $165 trade in credit on top of that.
Hmm, the fold may be close to what i want, as it seems to be designed to be used when it’s folded. (And 98% of everything i do on the phone requires a screen. I don’t actually use it to make phone calls.) I really want something that’s small 95% of the time, but could be larger for videos (which …i guess the fold’s shape isn’t condusive towards) Really, what i want is a smallish phone, that is comfortable to hold, fits in my pocket, and that my fingers can reach across.
I thought the movement to larger phones was driven by battery requirements, but maybe most customers really want a giant phone. 
I liked my Pixel 5 until the battery swelled yesterday. 
It was the best phone I had had, but I think there were better phones on the market at the time I got it.
Before yesterday, I was on a two-year phone replacement cycle, which would have had me changing phones in the spring.
I had been toying with moving away from Pixel (my last 3 phones were the Pixel, Pixel 3, and Pixel 5). However, in my whirlwind online phone shopping experience last night, I opted to just get a Pixel 6 (not a 6Pro or a 6A). I know there are probably “better”, but likely candidates for “better” are more expensive.
When I moved away from iPhones, before I started getting Pixels, I had a Samsung Note.
That was a BIG phone, large enough that I went into a phone store and asked for a demo model to see how it would work with my pockets before I was willing to buy it.
It was too large to be used comfortably as a phone, but for some of the many other uses of the phone (ebook reader, video player, etc.) the extra screen real estate was wonderful.
My last phone was only a little larger than the pixel 5, and it’s size bugged me all the time. It was just a little too wide to comfortably fit in my hand. It was also just a little too tall to comfortably fit in the pockets on a favorite pair of pants.
I’m nearsighted. I hold the phone really close, anyway. I don’t need a big screen. My husband is a little farsighted, and he buys a much larger phone than i do, so he can read it.
The Samsung deal I mentioned is a little bit of bait and switch unfortunately. It shows $299 as the price on most eligible trade in phones when you select them on the Samsung webpage. However, when you actually click through and agree to all the trade in terms the price changes. The only way to get that actual price is to trade in a high end phone that gets a $900 credit. If you trade in a lesser phone, you are only getting the trade in value plus an extra $100. So it’s not that great of a deal after all.
New phone has arrived and is minimally set up. (It’s going to take forever to fully recover, I fear…)
FWIW / for those who might peruse this thread for guidance later:
Pixel 6 is noticeably larger than Pixel 5. It’s not too big for my tastes, but it might be problematic for someone looking for something dainty.
Also, while I like the idea of having a fingerprint scanner under the front screen to facilitate unlocking the phone…my initial impression is that it doesn’t work as well as the older Pixel’s back-of-the-phone scanner. Maybe with practice/training that’ll improve…