My preference is for a smartphone that is as close to stock Android as possible. Obviously the Pixel and Nexus smartphones will be pure Android. Motorola is nearly stock, with only a few useful tweaks. The other consideration is the frequency of software and security updates, as the Pixel and Nexus phones will be first in line.
I don't have much advice on your concerns of Google integrating everything, but I certainly understand where you're coming from. I somewhat run with the defaults, but have managed to disable some items I don't care for. How your ISP mail will be affected is beyond me.
My daughter Megan needed to replace her old Moto X, and I steered her toward a Nexus phone purchased directly from
Google Project Fi. She paid $249 for a 32GB LG Nexus 5X (normally $399), plus the first month of Project Fi service ($30). There is no contract, so she will cancel the service next week and switch back to T-Mobile. While Project Fi has worked very well for Megan, it's cheaper for her to ride on my T-Mobile plan at $10 a month with unlimited data.
My youngest sister and her husband have been on Project Fi since last March and they swear by it (he's a techno geek and Boeing software engineer). My sister also has the LG Nexus 5X. Her husband has the older Motorola Nexus 6. As far as the Nexus 5X is concerned, both her and Megan are very pleased with their smartphones. Unfortunately Google is not discounting Pixel phones through Project Fi, but you can get a heavily discounted Huawei Nexus 6P ($349). The Nexus 6P is still considered by many among the best Android phones available.
In a nutshell, Project Fi works like this:
- You must have a Pixel, Pixel XL, Nexus 5X, Nexus 6 or Nexus 6P
- The plan is $20 monthly per phone
- The data is $10 monthly per 1GB
- Data overage is charged at 10 cents per megabyte on the next bill
- Unused data is refunded at 10 cents per megabyte on the next bill
- The service automatically switches to the strongest signal between T-Mobile, Sprint and US Cellular
- To get the Nexus discount, you must purchase the first month of Project Fi service at $30
- No contracts... cancel whenever
It can't hurt to consider Project Fi. If I was pressed to buy a phone today, I'd likely take this route with a Huawei Nexus 6P. I average 1/2 GB of cellular data per month, so I'd be looking at $25-ish per month for a single line. Consider this: If Project Fi works well in your area and you're a light data user, you'll save a boatload of cash. If it doesn't, very little is lost. Simply cancel Project Fi and take your new smartphone to whatever provider works best for you. Regardless, a new 32GB Huawei Nexus 6p for $349 is nothing to sneeze at.
Check out this incredible Pixel smartphone short video:
Google Pixel 4K Cinematic Video Footage