I'm currently using a Motorola Moto x4, which I bought in May 2018. I really like the phone, and it has served me well, particularly since I really don't do anything very hard core with my phone. It's mainly for texting, email, podcasts, music, and the occasional photo when I don't have my camera with me. I don't play games or even watch video on any sort of regular basis.
In terms of general performance, I don't even need to upgrade. The problem is that the rapid charging function on the phone is now completely nonfunctional. I began to have problems with it a few months ago, and would have to really push the connector in to make sure that I got rapid charging, but now it only charges slowly, meaning that it takes a good five or six hours to charge fully and I have to be careful to keep it charged overnight.
Also, the headphone jack has been used so much that it is now pretty loose, and it's hard to keep my headphones in there. If I stick them in and put the phone in my pocket, the slightest jostling of the headphone jack will cause it to disconnect and the sound to stop. I do have Bluetooth earphones, and I'm happy to use those for things like podcasts, but for music I find the sound quality of my wired earbuds much better.
As a replacement, I've been looking at the Moto G Power, which is super cheap and has basically everything I need in a phone. About the only reservation I have is that it lacks NFC. This is not a function I use very often, but there are times when it really comes in handy, like a few weeks ago when I drove 40 miles to buy some stuff, and realized when I arrived that I had left my wallet on the table at home. Luckily, the place took Google Pay and I was able to make sure that it wasn't a wasted journey. It would also be nice if the Power was water resistant, like my current Moto x4. I'm not sure that I have ever needed this, but it does provide some peace of mind in case you get soaked or drop it down the toilet or something like that.
The other one I am considering right now is the Pixel 4a. It doesn't have the massive battery power of the Motorola, but reviews suggest that, even with high video use, it easily gets a full day on a charge. It also lacks water resistance, but it does have NFC. It would be my first phone without any storage expansion slot like microSD, which would be a little annoying, but it is a 128 GB phone, which is probably plenty for me.
In terms of pricing, the Motorola is definitely better value for money when both phones are at full price, but I can currently get the Pixel 4a for $US216 (instead of the usual price of $349), because Google is running a subscription special on its Fi wireless service. I am already with Fi, and have been for more than two years, and I was going to stick with them anyway, so there is no real downside for me to take the subscription deal, which would require me to pay off the phone at nine dollars a month over two years. If you leave Fi, or want to pay the phone off early, you have to pay the full price.
