Is it possible to buy an iphone and NOT have to buy the plan? Is this possible and how?

I'm trying to convince my parents to buy me an iPhone, but which one do I buy and can it be used without the plan for $40 or $30? All my friends keep saying different things and iim afraid the store will just sell me the expensive one.

You either pay your money on the plan or you pay full price for the phone. Iphones arent that great anyway

You can buy an unlocked iPhone which is full price but you wouldn't be able to call or text. You can only text other Apple phones. It's like an ipod basically