Help with cell phones and plans. Newbie Believe it or not

I am changing jobs next week and for the first time will not have my phone provided. I have been doing a little bit of research but little confused. Been using an iPhone 11 Pro Max last 2 years and pretty sure I want to stick with an iPhone for ease of use and transfe of data. I also think with my hate of payments I want to buy outright. What is the downside to those Walmart monthly cards, why do I need a "plan" at the cell phone stores? Just call me boomer.

 

You need to determine what service works best where you will need the phone. Even in today's environment not all carriers are equal when it comes to service coverage. I use an unlocked phone that allows me to switch carriers just by swapping a sim.
I own my own unlocked phone and can leave a carrier at any time. There are some good deals out there that are roughly $25 a month-to-month with plenty of data. Owning your own unlocked phone allows you to take advantage of these deals.
BUT
I am amazed what deals some carriers offer as far as free or reduced priced phones. You just have to remember they are locking you into a multiple year contract to make enough to pay for that "free" phone.

You just have to buy according to your intended usage. Oh if you own your own unlocked phone you can use your data however you see fit. No paying extra for tethering. If you have a carrier provided phone they have modified it to track and meter your tethering.

I personally own an unlocked Samsung I bought off Amazon and I put in a Total Wireless sim. I pay for all my family's service of four phones for $100 a month w/ autopay.

 

I switched to Google-Fi a couple years ago and am really happy with it. It is a pay as you go service that cost $10 per GB and my wife and I's phones together cost $50 in service last month. I am not a power user though and I usually just check emails and make a few calls.