No surprises here. Just like the lockdown on iPhone screen and part replacements, Macbooks suffer from the same Apple’s anti-repair and anti-consumer bullshit. Battery glued, ssd soldered in and can’t even swap parts with other official parts. 6000$ laptop and you don’t even own it.
iPhones tend to be more affordable in the US than in other places in the world. An iPhone SE is only $400, and used iPhones aren’t that expensive.
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By “low end” you mean “better performance than current android flagships” you mean?
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I’d say $400 (minus whatever subsidies from your carrier) is the minimum I’d spend on a new smartphone. Could also get an iPhone 12 or something for a bit more.
Point is, iPhones are more affordable than people claim they are, especially in the US. Can’t speak for other places where they might be marked up or have high import tax.