I agree. It's always fun to spend other people's money. Lol.
My Harley and my iPhone are separate issues. While the Harley's "Infotainment" system leaves much to be desired, it has nothing to do with my iPhone. The Harley's GPS works okay on its own (I won't do the $150+ yearly update), but it's not as good as my phone's GPS with its live updates. So when traveling strange lands, I depend on my phone to maneuver the countryside. My issue with the iPhone was the cryptic error message I was receiving, because it didn't like my 12-volt phone charger.
At this point the Samsung S20 FE is not likely to happen. I read a review that stated the phone is obnoxiously big, which reminded me of how sick and tired I was of my Note 9's overbearing size. It was the primary reason I got rid of it, followed closely by the curved-edge screen (the FE has a flat screen). The FE is about the same size as the Note 9, so I'd be right back to square one.
Samsung also has its voice assistant "Bixby", which is a major irritant. I believe the Bixby button can now be repurposed, but Bixby always runs in the background anyway. Samsung also likes to bloat its phones with useless apps that cannot be removed. I'm also reminded that updates are hit-and-miss with Samsung. While there is improvement, you never know when your update is coming... or even if it is. It's different with iOS and stock Android, which prioritize its users getting updates ASAP. Google is promising at least 3 years of Android updates, which is fine for my needs.
The iPhone 12 is not 100% out of the running, but it's probably 88.6% out of the running. The hardware is excellent, but the problem remains the iOS irritations
that I listed on another thread (iOS update 14.1 fixed irritant #7). I'm quickly becoming an iPhone expert, but the issues I have are simply part of the iOS experience that everyone faces. I doubt that iOS and I will ever get along, and Apple's decision to get rid of Touch ID doesn't help in the least. Nevermind Lightning cables vs USB-C.
I considered getting a Pixel 4a to hold me over until next year, but for now the Pixel 5 remains slotted to be delivered within 10 days. I've racked my brains on reviews, etc., but for now the Pixel 5 seems to be my best option for my wants, needs and desires. Some reviewers have mentioned that the Pixel 5's audio is lacking, but that it's good enough. Others have stated it's the worst ever. I figure I'll give it a try and find out for myself. Worse case scenario is that I send it back and start over.