I mean, you bought the phone with a particular version of software. They don't charge you for some significant upgrades and security updates - but it seems fair to me that the features which require huge R&D costs would require a new purchase.
So, let me have the software features and I'll toss a few bucks their way.
Of course one could argue that the iPhone 8/X, XS, XR buyers did finance the R&D for it. Each year Apple has beat their neural engine drum but it wasn't until this year that they really introduced features that took great advantage of it. Sure, they used it for FaceID, but I'll wager it didn't really tax the silicon much.
I'd wager it just about maxed out their silicon, because it's taken two years of software optimization to speed up FaceID on the iPhone X. It was a little bit sluggish until iOS 13, which to me indicates some clever software trick was able to squeeze out a little more performance from already hardworking chips.
I wasn't denying that at all. My whole point is that that's how it is, that's how it's marketed.
Sure it would be nice to get some special new features, but as mentioned, that also doesn't suit how Apple operates when it comes to new features. And that's quite alright.
