I'm using a Pixel 3 (my first Pixel) that I bought new (in original sealed box) on eBay one year ago, for a bit under AUD$300, still works fine, all the apps keep upgrading (the OS won't upgrade as it's EOL, hasn't been an issue for me so far), the camera AI is impressive enough for me, I'm planning to keep on using it for at least another year. That's as close as I get to having a bleeding edge smartphone. No need to waste $1k+ on the latest and greatest hyped-up kool-aid.
>>jaza+(OP)
The Pixel 3 is a good phone. I bought one new and used it for ~5 years. The battery was still going strong and my only issue was the USB-C port stopped working.