capt. obvious

The huff 'n' puff over the cost of the X has gone over the top, so here are a few things to consider.

When the 6 came out, I paid a significant premium for the Plus - ONLY because of the better camera(s) and image stabilization;  I came to discover over time that the Plus was too big for even my huge paws, but the phone was stolen before I could regret the loss of the camera.

With the 8 I face the same tradeoff:  lesser attributes in a more hand-friendly size, or a better camera in a more awkward package for a significant markup, or ...but I also have the option for a MORE capable phone with better and bigger screen and better cameras AND the more handy size for yet another cash increment.

The leap from the 8 to the 8 Plus, price-wise, is the same as it was allowing for the across-the-board $50 hike:  700 to 850, or 150 diff;  X  base model goes for 1000, another $150 diff.  If one is willing to to pay extra for the extra / enhanced capabilities and hardware of the Plus over the base, then one has already largely justified the cost of overcoming the Plus' primary drawback:  its physical size.

Or to put it another way, if you're already committed to spending 700, another 300 can be less of a stretch than one might imagine.

Oh, and NO - I'm not rich, and far too old to be called a hipster except as a joke, and will be shelling out my own actual money:  the X is the SOLUTION to my phone-upgrade conundrum, not a complication of an otherwise easy choice.

Having said all that, having the X might make me more likely to KEEP the X for an extra year or two (I have been upgrading every 3 years ( first a 4, then a 6 Plus, stolen, replaced w/ 6s) ).

It was nicely-formatted - until it posted... >:P