That's true about "fun", it's very subjective but I'd say that bloat in my case strictly refers to software and not extra hardware, something like the difference between a ringtone store app and a couple of extra LEDs on the back.
On another note, I've seen a few reviews mentioning Pixels developing problems over time but nothing major AFAIK. Do you still use your Pixel? If not, what made you change it?
After checking out some reviews on this one in particular I think it's a pretty nice value. Good to know there's still affordable phones out there. I do have some extra budget lying around so I think I'll look into something a bit fancier this time.