Not recomending this for @Charlie, I should point out that Apple sells refurbished hardware at
https://www.apple.com/shop/browse/home/specialdeals
The stock listed there changes daily, so it can require a bit a patience.
+1 for Tracfone and the good news is Tracfone no longer requires you buy a proprietary phone, I think that stopped several years ago. They now have a Bring Your Own Device program, it works well, including with iPhones.
https://www.tracfone.com/keep-your-own-phone
Samsung Android phones can cost less upfront, but that's mostly because Samsung and Google business models include exploiting every tidbit of personal info that passes through the device. Perhaps this is why security on these platforms has always been an afterthought and doesn't work consistently.
Apple iOS and iPhones have had security vulnerabilities, but they usually get fixed pretty quick these days. The CEO of Apple says they consider personal privacy a human right. The then CEO of Google said "If you have something that you don't want anyone to know, maybe you shouldn't be doing it in the first place."
My advice is to not consider Android devices unless you are fine with everything that passes through the device being published for everyone to see.