But this is a great example of something no one has ever asked for. Even the suckers buying it never wanted it, they would just buy “top of the line” no matter

But this is a great example of something no one has ever asked for. Even the suckers buying it never wanted it, they would just buy “top of the line” no matter what useless “features” that means. For corporations I’m sure they like whatever cash they squeeze out of whatever percent of people have this “get the most expensive offering” strategy but it seems likely the end goal is more about gradually normalizing more expensive offerings at all levels. After you get there, you can start removing useful things that justified cost originally (like headphone jacks) to push whatever else people now need (ear buds). Smart phones are the obvious example of this sort of thing, where major carriers will basically force customers to get use either the latest iPhone or android, and then act like your existing phone is a potato and you must be crazy to think that they could make it ring. Not just a push to require smart phones but the latest ridiculously large one with features no one cares about, at a price point that it becomes a major investment for many households, and now needs a payment plan. whereas logic,progress and naive expectations of capitalism would suggest that such things would be getting cheaper, and represent a *smaller* chunk of your monthly wages. See also the similar situation with everything from smart tvs to toasters. I try to enjoy experiences with flashlights and paper maps while these things are still available. If toothpaste were invented today it would be engineered with a short shelf life and require a subscription