There is no way around this. The IMEI is what specifically identifies the device so that the phone/txt/data plan assigned to your SIM card knows where to direct these communications.
The traceability of these phones is primarily rooted in the fact that Google/Apple no longer own/control/manage the operating system or the device in any way. Your IMEI is simply an identification number, not much different than the IP address for your laptop when you connect to the internet, so that when you make a request for data or send/receive calls/text messages the network knows where to send/receive said requests.
I recommend watching my presentation on how BigTech spies on us here -> https://odysee.com/@mark37.com:2/cowboyandsuit14:b as it will help demystify and hopefully help you make sense of more of what's going on with these devices.
Digital security is much like physical security in that you can keep learning and taking steps to further protect and anonymize everything you do... but just like physical security, this takes training, education and time to master these things. All of this and more is discussed in the video above.
These may also be of use on your journey:
https://mark37.com/blog/bigtech-alternatives-resources/
https://mark37.com/blog/3-steps-to-digital-freedom-part-1-of-2/
Last thing I will mention is that there are some service providers (such as T-Mobile) that will allow you to pay cash for a new phone number, SIM card and service plan without having to give them any of your information. This is a more advanced way to "ghost" yourself but does require an understanding of the concepts discussed in the videos/articles above.
Hope this helps! Feel free to keep the questions coming!
