[stomachmonkey]

1) You'll need the google account to add apps. Sure you can get them other places and other ways but the play store works well and they do try to vet apps. One cool thing you can do, visit the play store on a PC, pick an app, tell it to install to your phone.

2) My basic rule for devices that can't really be upgraded, buy as much as your budget allows. As far as the recognition stuff, just turn it off.

3) The answer to that is almost always yes, just plug into your PC.

4) Generally, no. I think you'll find you won't do much drawing on that small a device. If you think that's going to be something you do a lot get a tablet. iPad Pro with Pencil is spectacular and you can get them with cell sims and yes, they do play nice with PC's.

5) Generally you can just delete stuff. The pre installed google stuff, tricky. It's googles OS so there are things that require google services to be present. People go through a lot of trouble to actually install google services on Amazons Fire devices.

My criteria for an android phone, you absolutely want one from a manufacturer that provides regular updates. Samsung typically does not score well here.