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.