i had the iphone 3gs for almost 4 years before i bought the g2 2 weeks ago.
i'm hoping the g2 will also last me as long, what with its beefy hardware and all. the screen size, overall phone size, and just about everything else is just right for my needs. my sister has the note II but that thing is too big for me. i almost got the moto x until i held it my hands in the store - it felt really really cheap imho. fell in love with the g2 right off the bat. it was so new, the store only had a display model. had to wait a week to get it and it was well worth the wait.
oh, i don't know what you people do that keeps the phone "on" all the time but with my usage (which is basically the same functions i used when i had the iphone 3gs), i went 55 hours on one charge... i think battery life is not an issue for me