People forget that there was a time before 2007 or thereabouts, when smartphones did not exist, somehow the human race survived.
You can’t hark back to a time when nobody had smartphones and use that as proof that they aren’t a pretty essential item now when virtually everyone has one.
Internet access is a fundamental right; without it, people are enormously hampered in accessing a range of essential services, planning their lives, shopping, accessing information, keeping in touch with friends and family, accessing entertainment, working, finding work, making travel plans etc. Of course these things can be done on a laptop, but a laptop is inconvenient to carry around, is unlikely to have 4G, and can’t be purchased on a contract.
For those relying on libraries, Internet cafes or on no internet at all, the sheer amount of time it would take to obtain the same results would be vast. Most people don’t have that time when they’re also working, looking for work, raising children, caring for families etc.
Not to mention that it’s hardly any less extravagant to have a phone, laptop, camera etc than to have one device which does all of those things.
Just in case anyone is not clear, paying £30 a month for a phone contract is NOT cheaper than paying £100 once for a second hand phone plus £5 a month for a sim contract.
Of course it isn’t cheaper. But poverty is expensive. Many, many people rely on credit for purchasing expensive items because they can afford a smaller monthly payment but not a large upfront cost.
If you need a smartphone today because without one you can’t keep in touch with your child’s school, be an emergency contact for your ailing mother and be contactable by your job, you’re sure as shit going to sign up for the £30 monthly contract instead of deciding to wait 4 months until you’ve saved enough for a £100 smartphone. Of course you will end up paying more in the long term, but that is the shitty, expensive reality for a lot of people in poverty or financial difficulty.