Which users?
I read a report recently from a developer that said only 17% of 16Gb users had less than 1Gb free. Or to spin that around 83% have more than 1Gb free. Most users on 16GB are the mom and pop time users, the corporate users, the elderly, the tech phobics. They use their devices in a basic manner, they don't shoot video, they don't download 1GB games. The majority (looking at available data) are just dandy with their 16GB.
Let's face it most people here want 32GB base as it will save them money, not because it's a smart business decision from Apple.
This bit of the article also made me chuckle:
I like the use of "irrelevant". $17 more for 16GB -> 64GB. Apple sells ~200 million devices a year. ~50% of which are the bottom storage tier, that's a $1.7 billion decision. Hardly irrelevant.
Most of these analysts would run a well a well oiled machine like Apple into the ground within a few years, as would the majority of forum members.
Last thing we want is a situation like Android manufacturers for Apple, where they make no money. That's when the users will start getting screwed.
Selfishly I would love a 64GB base model, but I can also see why it exists.
I don't know of any flagship phone that still starts at 16 GB of flash storage. Apple losing 1.7 billion per year is like a a middle class citizen losing pocket change.