Since there are a lot of photographers here - what's the first step up from phones? That is a camera that :

- takes better photos than phones (esp. when printed)

- is not crazy expensive

- is not crazy complicated

The camera you'd buy if you did not want to make photography a hobby but phones don't cut it.

https://m.dpreview.com/reviews/buying-guide-best-cameras-und...

Any of those is great. There is also a sub-$1000 category but the cameras in it are more compromised.

If you want to spend less, buy used Nikon Z or Canon R series.