Nowadays, we live in a world where many people would say they need a cell phone. Need? Not really. If humanity existed for thousands of years without them, they could hardly be considered a basic necessity. It is quite possible to survive without this device.
Yet, while I say that these cell phones are not needs, I definitely understand their appeal. We live in a world of instant gratification, where we expect that, should we want to reach someone, we should have a way of doing so. In addition to their role in businesses, cell phones are usually a given when it comes to social acquaintances. When getting together with people, we call them from one cell phone to the other to determine where exactly to meet, update them on changes in our schedule, and call them when problems arise in addition to many other uses.
People survived just fine without cell phones, but they also traveled less. They were usually home or around friends and family, so had little need for cell phones.