Most people can’t afford a google pixel and if they can, aren’t going to risk it.

And they shouldn't. By buying Pixels you are supporting Google, the same company that is destroying Android freedom.

Today's best alternatives are phones that come preloaded with custom ROMs (Brax3, Fairphone, Murena, Iodé, and so on), or if you're feeling more adventurous, a Linux phone (I have heard good things about FuriLabs FLX1).