It depends what experience you are looking for and why you are switching. Plus what region you are in because some phones are not available/the same in all countries.

But I prefer Pixel with Graphene OS installed. Very private and granular controls, but not always the smoothest experience because locking down for privacy isn’t convenient.

Stock I really like the Samsung S series. Decent UI and doesn’t feel bogged down.

I think for “gotchas” you should consider how you message people and how you pay for things. Not that those are deal breakers for you, but they seem to be the most prevalent daily use cases that can’t always be gotten around.