Now that my Essential's battery is taking a hit due to age, I've been tempted to switch back to a Moto Z Play and stay on Nougat.

Why?

Substratum works better on Nougat. Nougat isn't overburdened by Pie and Queef are. I find myself annoyed by Pie and Queef more than anything else. I used to look forward to OS updates, not anymore.

The Z Play's combination of SOC and battery size makes it one of the best long-battery-life phones. And weirdly enough, I miss bezel. Bezel-less phones make me feel like I can't hold onto the front for any reason. Front fingerprint scanner also works better in general rather than having to reach through a hole in the case to use the one on the back. The bezel-less aspect ratios are getting insane. Just give me 16:9 and be done with it.

All the current flagships feel like regressions at this point. Taller! Longer! Less bezel! Newer! But... not comfortable.