I won't try to justify the cost of the phone however many people ues their phone has their mobile office.
They receive email. They store 1000's of documents.they use the calendar, they operate their desktop computer remotely. They order supplies. They track supplies and shipments.
Sure they do basic things like text and make calls, but with all the apps available the phones are a lot more functional/necessary than you think.
The average retired person does not need and cannot conceive of the need for a 256GB phone.
