That is a real concern & it seems they are moving to 4 years of updates as well as not rolling out a new phone every year, but given that LineageOS supports the phones, even if I am not getting firmeware updates, I am willing to take that risk since I get more IO.
The Xperia 5 is a skinny 6.1" & many consider it to be a small phone option in 2024.
Yep. Camera situation is shit. I often carry a mirrorless so I can get a nice photo if I need it, but it means a general photo by me is shit since you need that proprietary software. And yet still since I use the headphone jack more than anything, it is a requirement—along with an unGoogled experience for privacy. If you want a jack + unlockable bootloader with flagship specs, Xperia is the only line left.