Hardware is getting to the point where it's more than good enough for most people even in lower price points. The only thing going for Samsung and China phones is low cost barrier to entry. If Google can offer a budget 100-200$ Pixel phone with 7 years of OS updates it will be game over for the competition in that segment of the market.
@OnLeaks has now shared renders of the Pixel 8a, likely Google's final member of the Pixel 8 series. Corroborating previous leaks, the Pixel 8a has a more curved design than the Pixel 7a and one that resembles the Pixel 8.