A few recommendations:

LineageOS is a well-rounded Android distribution with lots of community support: https://lineageos.org/

F-Droid is a kitchen-sink app store for Free Software, much of which can replace the stuff you get from the Play Store: https://f-droid.org/

MicroG, a "re-implementation of Google’s proprietary Android user space apps and libraries": https://microg.org/ (unofficially, there's also https://lineage.microg.org/)

Netguard, an app that lets you deny internet access to specific applications: https://netguard.me/

On Android, you basically have Samsung, Google Pixel, Sony and ASUS. The rest are all Chinese brands or Brands owned by Chinese. Yes that includes Motorola.

I am waiting for what Sony has to offer this year. Otherwise it is looking like Samsung since Pixel isn't available everywhere.

I loved my Pixel devices. They were far better than my current iPhone.

I haven't used a non-Pixel Android phone in a long time, but my experience with any device with a customized (non-vanilla) Android OS was bad. Lots of bugs and bloat. Stick with vanilla.

I switched from a Pixel to an iPhone, hated it, switched back after a few months to a newer Pixel, and it's been fine since. The phone just works and I never really have to think about it, which is more than I can say about most tech.

The spam blockers work really well, especially in an election year. Put Adguard on it and most ads go away. The updates come as they should and nothing seems to break. Not much more I can ask from a phone.

Recommend buying a fairphone fully repairable, and possibly to degooglify if you want to go in that direction

Personally use a Pixel 7 and I really like it, previously used a Xiaomi which I also really liked.