Google recently pushed an update to the Pixel line of smartphones, and got a lot of praise for benchmark scores improving! https://somegadgetguy.com/b/4K3
Has real world performance really improved though? Let's take a look!
@SomeGadgetGuy What are you talking about? :P This video made me feel way better about buying a Pixel 7a. It's no Pro, but I didn't want something that large, and it was a really good deal at BestBuy during release (unlocked).
As the tech person for my family, my recommendation for an "average person phone" is (sadly) an iPhone. I may not use an iPhone, but there is more communal knowledge within my family members of iOS than Android. If something goes wrong, it's easier for them to go to the local Verizon store, get a replacement phone, and the salesperson start an iCloud restore.