Privacy advocates got access to Locate X, a phone tracking tool which multiple U.S. agencies have bought access to, and showed me and other journalists exactly what it was capable of. Tracking a phone from one state to another to an abortion clinic. Multiple places of worship. A school. Following a likely juror to a residence. And all of this tracking is possible without a warrant, and instead just a few clicks of a mouse.
Meh, the pixel 6a is pretty cheap. Warranty and creature comforts are for the daily driver.
Edit: I should add, there are a few mobile hotspots that officially support changing the IMEI
link