So what in heck is the best working most economical tiny phone

Back before smartphones, Nokia had all the tiny phones that lasted for days on a charge. I had one that fit in that little coin/watch pocket in my Levis blue jeans. Its interesting how the trend for phone sizes went from tiny to phablet size as soon as we could use them for watching porn..

Motorola.

Nokia 800 tough if you can get one. It runs Kaios (not Google Android, or Apple IOS).

Tin cans from kroger, string from 3m.

The Chinese make tiny phones with data plans that have a screen size of 2 inches square, but they operate on 3G networks in China and are often seen for sale on big box websites in North America.

Keep in mind that 3G networks are no longer functioning in North America, so don't buy one because it won't work. The smallest cellphone with data that I've found so far is an Apple iPhone 16. It has the smallest screen and the lightest weight of any data phone on the market and uses 4G and 5G networks.