[arthens]

> Not wanting and not having a choice are two different things.

As a general statement, sure. But if we are talking about mobile phones this is a very privileged and unrealistic point of view.

According to chatgpt, 70-80% of mobile phone sold worldwide every year cost less than the cheaper iPhone.

Some people could probably stretch their budget and get the cheapest iPhone, but otherwise it seems safe to conclude that more than 50% of people simply have no choice.

[eloisant]

I see poor looking people with iPhones all the time.

People do stretch their budget when they really feel the need for it (and the poorest you are the more you'll want to prove you're not poor by buying a status symbol), also the second hand market is an easy way to get a cheap iPhone. Sure, it won't be the latest model...

[nozzlegear]

In the US it's very common to get your phone financed via your carrier, too. It's so common that most people probably don't even think of it as financing, it's just an extra monthly charge they pay on their bill which lets them upgrade to the latest iPhone or Android model every two years.