The S22 was only $300 via Google Fi (with the only conditions being that you activate it within 30 days and keep it active for 2 months). That was cheaper than they were offering the Pixel 7a (though I bought my wife the 7a not via Fi and I think it was the same price) and half the price I would have paid for the 7 Pro.

But regardless, it wad more that I just wanted a small form factor phone with some sort of telephoto. I have a mirrorless camera with a variety of lenses. I rarely use it unless I am doing something specifically to take pictures and need the really long telephoto. Most of my photos are when I'm hiking or mountain biking and it is just so much more convenient to be able to take good pictures without carrying more gear (especially when biking). I live in a big open landscape and the wide angle main lens of most smartphones makes the background seem so small and so far from a nearer subject. Backing up and using a mild telephoto creates a lot more compression of space and comes a lot closer to capturing the feel of being in those landscapes.

I'm typing this on a Samsung Galaxy S22 because I wanted a telephoto lens but not a giant phone. I had previously had 3 Google phones and prefer the interface, but the 7 Pro was bigger than I wanted.