The changes seem based on age, which just makes it more imperative that phone manufacturers perform even /more/ reliable age verification...

The business model, incentives, and practices that led them down this road? No, those don't need to change.

I just bought a $50 Android phone, quad core, 8GB RAM, 1 year of mobile service (albeit limited, but free WiFi is everywhere).

Have all the age restriction you want. A kid goes into the store with their lunch money (a few days worth) and they have a valid phone number and an unrestricted device.

Everything requires ID to use? I’m not sure what the answer is, but I agree.