I guess this depends on the circumstances. I went to a homeless shelter with one of my grandfathers employees who was currently in halfway housing. I brought up how its ridiculous that homeless people have iphones and whatnot. He said that typically those phones are bought and paid for by family so that they can stay in touch with them and make sure theyre still alive. I personally am very broke. Ive struggled to find work in the location I live at, which wasnt exactly a choice of my own. Its just the only thing keeping me off the streets. My father got me an Android that looks just like any other Android (J3 for the curious) and he pays my phone bill. A phone is the last thing on my list of priorities but my family needed a way to stay in contact with me so they bit the curb and got this for me. Not only that, but there is a grandiose misconception that a smart phone = big bucks. When getting a plan these phones can be available for as little as 30 dollars a month. Realistically, phones are the biggest thing when it comes to keeping in contact with your poor family. So just keep an open mind and realize that theres a possibility that these expensive phones could be paid off and supported by worried family/friends.