[gtk40]

Certainly there are plenty of people for whom it is significant. You could just as easily say many have their smartphone fully paid for by their employer so it doesn't matter. When I paid for my own smartphone before, I got a Moto G (80% as good as a phone many times as expensive). Now that my employer pays, I got a more expensive phone that I like only marginally better than my former Moto G (and I miss some things about the G). However, plenty of people are not in that situation, and plenty of people notice the $500+ difference.

[criddell]

Yes there are plenty of people that can't afford it, but I was mostly talking to HN readers. $1 per day is something that most of us can afford. Verizon will sell you an iPhone 7 Plus for $32 / month. For sure it's a luxury item, but it's within reach.

If a Moto G is good enough for you, then great! You have sixty five cents per day that you can spend on other things.