https://www.cnbc.com/2018/08/01/how-apple-keeps-the-iphone-so-profitable.html

It seemed like a wild gamble a year ago.

As rumors heated up that Apple was preparing to launch a new iPhone in the $1,000 range, the pile on from the tech pundit community came in swiftly. The reported features of a then-unnamed iPhone wouldn't be enough to justify the $1,000 price and spur a new "super cycle" of sales growth last seen in 2014 and 2015 after the launch of the iPhone 6.