I get what you mean, the main difference there being that Google, Samsung and Apple add a ton of auto photo enhancements built into their camera apps to make photos “pop” more, without effort- which is suitable for most people who aren’t photography inclined.

Sony phones give you all the tools to enhance them but it’s up to the user to do it, which as a photographer I certainly appreciate. Sony still had a basic camera app that adds a small degree of enhancements, but you can also shoot them in RAW.

That being said, I think it’s funny that the only(?) flagships right now that retain expandable storage and a headphone jack are labeled by YouTubers as “enthusiast/niche” phones when really they’re just as usable for anyone and the same price as a mid- top tier iphone.

You just add the photo “pop” yourself if desired.