Thanks, that's helpful. It sounds really good for my use case, which is in areas where T-Mobile especially has good coverage, and very little data usage. One thing: aren't you worried about the security implications of connecting to some random, open wifi point? A VPN won't prevent man-in-the-middle attacks. For the phone, I'm torn. I like the idea of a Pixel 2, but the LG G7 ThinQ is actually cheaper: it's a higher base cost ($750 vs. $650), but they're running a special right now where you get a $300 credit on your bill if you buy one.
Google claims to have some super special ultra security wifi secret sauce that makes random networks secure. I don't know how it works, but I don't like it. It often doesn't connect very well even if it is secure, which I have no idea if it is. I usually turn off wifi in those situations.
Such was my thinking, and I was sure to make sure that it can be disabled before I was willing to make the switch. I've heard enough positive experiences and am sufficiently sick of Verizon's shit after today that now it's just a question of deciding which phone I want.
I have a pixel 1. It's a good phone, but not a great one. Sort of buggy. For example sometimes it just only vibrates instead of ringing. Other annoying but not critical issues exist. Don't know if there pixel 2 had similar issues. I'm probably going to get a 3 when it comes out this fall.