The difference is in that the phone is infinitely more useful and potentially useful; and the dystopia only arises from the fact that it has been used against me in accordance to the surveillance state.
The phone, and the carrying of it, is not really the issue.
At a couple other gyms (these were some 20 years ago), you gave your name when you came in, they pulled up your photo, and checked if it was close enough. Again, no need to carry anything.
That requires staff, which is expensive, but my point is to highlight there are options where you don't need to carry anything. Those sound like the world I would prefer.
While a phone may often be more useful, it's not infinitely more useful than other options. When I used to regularly swim at neighborhood pool, which is in walking distance, I had an RFID card to get in. The card could fit in my swim trunks. When the weather was warm enough I could walk to the pool carrying only card, towel, and body wash. I didn't bother getting a locker. A phone would have been less convenient and therefore less useful.
I used to have a ring of like 2-3 dozen keys. Now the only key I need to carry is for my car.
Even homeless people need smart phones these days in order to interact with the agencies that help them.
plenty of places to charge, and lots of free wifi.
its a good thing. they can communicate, call for help, or just stay busy -- you have a lot of free time when you're homeless and jobless, and being able to scroll the internet keeps you in sync w/ the world.
probelm is getting them the phone, and making sure they don't lose it.
You speak as if this is a group of "others" that need controlling, rather than a (temporary) situation anyone can find themselves in. Nor do you recognize the reasons why people end up homeless. You suggest that pushing people to doom scroll all day is a good thing.
Have you considered that being homeless you'd have no money? At risk of theft? That many sell anything worth something to feed themselves or addictions? That you'd get kicked out of places where it's warm with wifi? That you'd have to carry a charger around too? Or that people often refuse to communicate and ignore you? Or that you'd desperately need help and long term support already, which isn't there? Probably struggling with mental health or abuse and trauma?
Tying our lives to a digital devices in order to exist is already dystopian. What you suggest in such a tone and attitude is detached from reality.