I remember back in the 90's when every store sold Cell phones for a thousand with plans unadvertised.
One time I applied for one and was essentially laughed out of the place. Such as well. Eventually the mexican phone cards solved the problem despite huge losses in time if you made short calls. But very well for 5 hour calls when dating.
The older cell technology which was very bare texting and a tiny camera that charged you 5 dollars for one picture sent to a email online... (ouch) was not that bad for voice. One day Sprint called me and told me my phone was crappy here try some of the new ones.
I should have never fell for that. Because Sprint was anxious to no longer support my older phone. What I did not know then hurt me.
It would be years before I got back in to cell phones again. And only with just enough technology to text. (Flip phone0 eventually the landlines program dating to the 80's was a welcome buffer to the constant monthly costs.