They were never $1,300. And there has always been a perfectly viable non top of the line option for around $800, but still very future proof option.
Some people like to claim that everyone is buying a new maxed out iPhone every couple years, but that is nowhere near the truth. If you do not need the latest and greatest camera, people can and do buy the much cheaper models.
I didn’t say they were 1,300. I said they were very expensive for their time, relative to the competition. In fact, started at $649. Also, the specs are just not comparable to the latest. From battery life, to screen quality, to storage.
I disagree they were expensive relative to their competition, if you define competition as phones that have a decade+ long history of lasting at least 4 years (including software updates).
It has been many years since 90% of people need the “latest” specs. For the purposes of messaging, taking photos, browsing the internet, and watching media, an iPhone 13 serves just the purpose just as well as a 14 pro.
Even a $500 SE will do everything most require, except have a bad battery life, but that is fine for people who are not out in the field like retired people.
So people are willing to fork over lots of money. And then many many people, though of course not everyone (like yourself), upgrade very few years.