> I think the phone is for making telephone calls.

It's still a phone, among other things, that's true. But you better realize what it really is: a pocket computer with dozen functions, probably mightier than what they used to fly to the Moon. You have in your pocket more processor power and storage than a bank had 30 years ago. And it has more peripherals - anything that can connect via the few protocols and devices it has (wifi, bluetooth, GPS, and yes, let's not forget the telephone network), plus the usb, headset (with, guess what, a pretty good microphone), a camera or two, sometimes two microphones (so you get real stereo when recording, which would have cost you a bundle in the days of tape recorders), a touchscreen, FM radio. It can even be your TV set. Plus it's your email client, browser, gaming device, controller for a bunch of other devices. Our daughter uses it to program the LED lights around the apartment, synchronize with her smart watch, skype (with video)... and it still works as a phone too.

I'm much more conservative, I simply don't need much from my pocket computer - use it as a phone, messenger, alarm clock, sound recorder, sometimes camera and pretty much nothing else. My phone is an 8 year old Nokia E5 :).