Yeah honestly i have previously considered just taping a raspberry pi to a portable touch screen and a powerbank and use that instead of a phone with how shitty phones are getting. Fairphone + Calyx is what stopped me from going down that route tho.
Tbh, im currently using a Pixel, they are... Actually quite good, even without another OS, wich you can install.
I even controlled what it uploads, it doesn't send data when i don't agree to it (living in EU) so im fine with it and a custom launcher (the normal one sucks).
Yes, at least from what i know, maybe there is some DIY phones or maybe Nokia pulles some great phone out of their ass somehow, but currently i know only about the Pixels being actually good at what they do.
I can concur the Pixel 8 Pro has honestly been pretty good, for whatever it's worth. Granted I'm not in the EU, so I don't get the benefits of GDPR, but it's the best of a bad set of options.