Where I live in Europe the phone is used to charge transport cards, to pay at stores, to interact with banks and government, etc. Because of two factor authentication it's basically a necessity to have one for banking and certain government transactions (some of which can only be done online). I could carry around a laptop for work and business but it's far more convenient to use a smaller device.
For a month I traveled from Seville to Munich in 2019 and didn't need my phone at all. I bought food, tickets, took transit, etc. What I did NOT do was open a bank account.
So do these banks issue you a phone if you don't have one? Does the government have a law that requires citizens to own a phone? What brand? What capabilities.
There are online-only banks in the US that are only accessed through a phone, but they are not the ONLY banks.
I think you are confusing a world that CAN be accessed vs. a world that MUST be accessed via phone.
