$1000 is more than the monthly wage of many people around the world, including many in USA (where the minimum daily wage has stagnated for decades).
e.g., in most Asian and African countries, Apple is considered as a luxury brand.
Of course, the Apple fanboys will be quick to compare it to Samsung and other companies who also sell $1000+ premium phones.
But all those companies also sell budget phones that are very affordable. It's only Apple that refuses to sell budget phones. In fact, even Apple's cheapest phones (SE models) are unaffordable for daily wage earners in many nations of the world.
So yeah, when most people look at Apple products, they do assume their buyer to be "prestige status" (one who prefers luxury good/product).
It is also why Apple refuses to bundle chargers and cables (or at least, it tried to do so, until EU forced it to bundle them; but Apple does such cheapskate shenanigans in the other continents, where pro-consumer watchdogs/laws are lax), because it knows its fans will buy whatever it sells at whatever price points it sells even if basic accessories are not bundled. Unfortunately, Samsung and other companies are also following suit on such evil (anti-consumer) tactics.
Apple is also notorious for making it very hard for customers/third-parties to repair its products. This is why EU had to enforce its Right to Repair law on Apple stringently, and EU also forced Apple to give USB Type-C charging port (instead of Lighting port) on its devices which other manufacturers were doing so since years.
TLDR: Companies can act evil only if we let them get away with their evil ways.
> It is also why Apple refuses to bundle chargers and cables (or at least, it tried to do so, until EU forced it to bundle them; but Apple does such cheapskate shenanigans in the other continents, where pro-consumer watchdogs/laws are lax)
You got this backwards, the EU is who has been pushing for the un-bundling of chargers. That was the whole reason for their push towards universal USB/USB-C adoption - so you could buy a new phone and keep using your old cable and charger, for environmental reasons.
This is also quite explicit in the EU law - it literally requires sellers to offer buying a device without the charger if you don't need one
> Directive (EU) 2022/2380, Article 3a
> Where an economic operator offers to consumers and other end-users the possibility to acquire the radio equipment referred to in Article 3(4) together with a charging device, the economic operator shall also offer the consumers and other end-users the possibility of acquiring that radio equipment without any charging device.
The only country that requires Apple to bundle a charger is Brazil.
>But all those companies also sell budget phones that are very affordable. It's only Apple that refuses to sell budget phones. In fact, even Apple's cheapest phones (SE models) are unaffordable for daily wage earners in many nations of the world.
90% of everything most Americans buy is unaffordable for daily wage earners in many nations of the world.
If I live in America (or a similarly developed country), then that definition of "prestige" is useless.