This doesn't sound right to me. At the time the X phones were introduced the chatter was all about them being positioned as more exclusive/higher-end phones an

This doesn't sound right to me. At the time the X phones were introduced the chatter was all about them being positioned as more exclusive/higher-end phones and priced accordingly. The higher prices allowed new tech to be introduced while keeping profit margins and also matching supply chain constraints on new technology (like the face-id sensor).