I've always tried to pay no more than about $200 for a phone. That has always landed me a big, bright screen on a device that's maybe a generation or so behind the latest.

My current phone is a Samsung that I paid cash for. And it works great! Sure, it's inexpensive, but it does everything I need it to do with the screen that's big enough to be easy on my aging eyes.

Thousands for a phone? I can't even imagine.