No. Not the same as it always was. It was a previously well established cycle that Apple would routinely update their iPhones every year. And radically redesign their iPhones every other year. The non "s" versions were the radically redesigned models and the "s" versions were the models with the incremental internal changes. But year to year no matter the updates, the cost structure remained consistent.
But now Apple appears to be abandoning that routine, and basically "forcing" one to pay up to get the radically "redesigned" model. Of course Apple isn't literally forcing anyone to pay more to update, but in a sense they are in that you'll have to pay more if you want the new radically redesigned model. They kinda already did this with the iPad line by introducing the iPad "Pro". One could argue that normally the ability to use the Apple Pencil or Smart Keyboard would be features you'd expect to see in a regular iPad update and shouldn't warrant a "pro" label let alone a higher cost.
Look. Apple can do what they want. I love Apple, and have been using Apple products long before the iPod or iPhone even existed. But I think it's okay to point out this apparent change in Apple's iphone pay structure. Especially since Apple users were already paying a premium for their iPhones & iPads. I just think it's a bit greedy on their part.
Sorry, we disagree and you are using an entitlement viewpoint in that Apple owes us new designs and improvements at always the same price, no matter what they do with the next generation of iPhones and what they have done in the past.
We do not know if the OLED displays cost more, we do not know whether there will be new camera component which will cost more. It seems there is another battery strip in it and we do not know if the assembly yields are different and assembly the costs more. There maybe other components which now cost more.
That's only mentioning a few possible price accelerators.
Now, since everybody is crying that the " assembly slaves" should be paid fair wages, Apple may have agreed to that and as we all know things get more expensive over time.
There is way to much info missing to call them greedy or forcing anybody.
Forcing is clearly the wrong word, when there are so many alternatives out there.
People need to start separating emotions and mostly WANT vs. NEED and their lives would be much easier.
As QUEEN used to sing: We want it all, we want it all and we want it now.
They just didn't finish the lyrics saying: For FREE or same low price forever
