re: Is every new phone as bad as the reviews say they are?

Expectations have gotten a little unrealistic towards phones. Camera technology is really good right now, battery life is great, a variety of form factors ranging from small to huge, build quality has gotten good. About the biggest complaint is that prices on the high end are a bit excessive for the difference from the low/mid range phones.

IMO, it's hard to argue against something like an iphone 12 mini. It's a good phone that is really portable and doesn't break the bank.